


RWBY: Journey of the Four Maidens

by DannyBoy3338



Category: RWBY
Genre: Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, M/M, Medieval AU, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-09 10:44:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 37,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7798699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyBoy3338/pseuds/DannyBoy3338
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jaune discovers he's the descendant of The Great Wizard that ended the great war of Vytal, he must travel the world of Remnant in order to gain power and knowledge from the Seasonal Maidens in order to prevent the world from falling into darkness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**I came up with the idea for this story after seeing this picture on Deviant Art:**

**madgamer2k7 deviantart com /art/RWBY-Maidens-The-Four-Seasons-579749090**

**All credit for drawing goes to the original artist madgamer2k7**

**I hope this ends up being good :3**

* * *

**Prologue:**

Weiss Schnee stood near the window in her bedroom, idly staring at the snowflakes gently floating to the ground.

"Lady Schnee?"

She was in deep thought about this feeling she's been experiencing for the past week. A strange nagging sensation; as if she were trying to remember a memory that was far too distant.

"Lady Schnee?"

There was just something about this feeling… …something…

"Lady Schnee!"

Weiss finally snapped out of her thoughts to be greeted by her sister, "Winter, you know you can just call me by my first name. You're my sister first and my retainer second, you don't have to refer to such formalities" she said.

"I'm sorry lady Schnee but this is urgent. I've just received word that a large army has arrived near our borders."

"What?!" she shouted, "Who are they? Where are they from?"

"Apparently from the kingdom of Mistral, but that's not all. From what the border guards said, the army is being led by Lady Belladonna of Haven; and she has requested an audience with you within three hours, or she will attack"

Weiss grew a look of concern, "I'm going" she said walking up to her bed post and grabbing her weapon Myrtenaster.

"Are you sure Lady Schnee?"

"Yes. The world has lived decades without violence. We cannot allow whatever petty disagreement this is to throw us into war"

* * *

"What's the situation General Ironwood?" Weiss asked as she, Winter, and the aforementioned General walked past numerous soldiers along the tops of the border; a massive wall that towered over the sea, decorated with Mistralian ships.

"They arrived overnight, but they haven't shown any form of aggression... ...not yet at least."

"You said that Lady Belladonna requested to talk to me?"

"Yes, but we immediately plan to deny it. Hmph, to think we would allow her to see you by yourself. The idiot" the General scoffed.

All the while, Weiss stared at the many ships aligned with one another, watching their sails flow in the snowy breeze. "How many soldiers are there per ship?" She asked narrowing her eyes.

"Well… it's not certain, but our tacticians believe each carry at least twenty-five"

Hearing this, Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm going"

"Absolutely not! For all we know, those beasts most likely set up a trap!" Winter said.

"Even if that's true, I'm still going. I want to show that I'm willing to negotiate. That way we can settle this without the need for violence" Weiss justified before stepping out onto the edge, "Which one is her ship?"

"Lady Schnee, you know we cannot allow you to…"

"Then I'm ordering you to allow me" She interrupted, "Which one is her ship?"

The general and Winter glared at her, "*sigh* the one with the amber colored sails. But just so you know…if you are not back by noon… …we _will_ retaliate" the General warned.

Weiss nodded before leaping off, hearing many of her soldiers' gasp and call out her name in worry. Summoning glyphs one after another, she safely navigated herself to what was said to be Lady Belladonna's ship.

When she landed on the deck, she was greeted by two Mistralian soldiers, "I am Lady Schnee of Mantle. Your leader asked for my presence?"

The soldiers looked at each other, "Follow us".

::: ::: ::: ::: :::: ::::

She entered an elegantly designed room, with a throne-like chair at the end of it. In said chair sat Blake Belladonna, wearing an exotic battle kimono colored black and violet with amber trimming. "Hello Lady Schnee" she said, taking a sip from her whine glass.

"What are you thinking Lady Belladonna?! Assembling your army and threatening to attack my kingdom?! You're a Seasonal Maiden! You're supposed to help maintain peace on Remnant, not tarnish it!" Weiss shouted.

"Hmph, that's saying much, coming from a _hypocrite_ like yourself"

"Excuse me?!" 

Blake finished her drink and stood up to walk closer, "Oh Schnee, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about"

"What do you mea…"

"You and I both know your kingdom reaps benefits from faunus slavery. We know of your involvement in the Menagerie slave trade. We've intercepted several of your cargo ships to find _hundreds_ of faunus, beaten and malnourished! Civilized people, kidnapped from their homeland! Families torn apart! And for what?! To go work in your _dastardly_ mines." she said with distaste.

Weiss frowned, "What do you want?"

"The release of all faunus slaves you keep captive in those underground _prisons_ you call mines, as well as others you have working other forms of hard labor. We want them returned to their homelands, and we want you and your people to pay dues for taking part in the trade"

Weiss stayed silent, "It's not that simple Lady Belladonna"

Blake furrowed her brow, "I will agree to pay dues for the trade, but we cannot release our mine workers. Doing so will devastate our economy and send our kingdom into a recession we couldn't fathom overcoming" Weiss justified.

"Lady Schnee... I _urge_ you to think differently…" Blake said flashing her obsidian katana, Gambol Shroud. "We faunus are willing to _die_ for the safety of our own"

Weiss armed Myrtenaster, taking a battle stance, "And I am the Winter Maiden, willing to _die_ for the safety of the world"

Blake smirked before turning around, "So be it"

Suddenly, she vanished in blur of shadows, reappearing above Weiss delivering an overhead slash.

Weiss was barely able to parry the attack, causing her to stumble, " _Shit, she's faster than be-_ *gasp*" Weiss gasped. Blake went for the follow up, slashing directly upward at her face.

"AAAaaah!" Weiss screamed in agony; the attack slashed her left eye, leaving a massive gash. She reeled back, clutching her eye with her left hand as blood started to flow. But when she looked up she saw Blake's katana, this time coming for her neck.

She ducked at the last second, Blake's attack only cutting her tiara in half, causing her hair to fall freely. Stabbing Myrtenaster in the floor she summoned a pillar of ice, striking Blake in her torso and sending her across the room, hitting the wall hard.

She fell with a thud, with Weiss making haste for the main deck. Seeing this, Blake tried to stand, but collapsed to her knees clutching her side, "Nngh, Guards! GUARDS! Don't let her escape!" 

" _Shit_ " Weiss thought as she saw two guards coming for her from the end of the hall, one with a bow, the other with a lance. The former quickly drew three arrows and fired all in quick succession.

Ducking and side-stepping to her left and right, Weiss dodged all three. Grimacing, she summoned a haste glyph underneath her before dashing towards them instantaneously, slashing the one with the bow across his neck.

The other swung with his lance. Parrying two of the strikes, Weiss brought Myrtenaster back before stabbing him six times in the chest with blinding speed.

"Stop right there!" Weiss turned around to see another dozen soldiers at the other end of the hall, all of them baring different weapons. With widened eyes, she ran for the stairs that led to the main deck, and when she got to the top she never stopped running.

The rest of the soldiers came shortly after, all of them chasing her as fast as they could. "Kill her! Don't let her get away!"

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

"Lady Schnee!" one of Weiss' soldiers called out.

"What?!" Winter asked, shoving the soldier out of the way. When she looked, she immediately caught sight of Weiss clutching her eye with blood spilling from her hand, "Rrr, we told her not to go alone!"

"Dammit Lady Schnee, you should've known you couldn't negotiate with these animals" the General mumbled.

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

Weiss was panting, the pain was starting to become overwhelming. Looking back, she saw the soldiers gaining on her. Gritting her teeth, she swiped Myrtenaster to summon a large glyph under them all, completely encasing them in a block of ice.

" _I have to get out of here"_ She thought approaching the bow of the ship. She summoned a large black glyph and she stepped onto it. And with a flick of her wrist, she launched herself back to the top of the border walls.

She landed ungracefully, with many soldiers coming to her aid. "Weiss! Are you alright?!" Winter asked.

Weiss breathed heavily, blood dripping from between her fingers. "Lady Schnee?" She looked up to see the General.

Grunting in pain, she slowly stood up, "Men, arm yourselves… …we're going to war".

**The End**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

Once upon a time, a great war ravaged the world of Remnant. Entire cities were burnt to the ground, women and children were slaughtered with no remorse, and anyone who was able to survive thought that the battle would see no end.

One day, four female warriors set out on a journey; traveling to all ends of the world in search of the Great Wizard, the only one who they believed had the power to restore peace.

When they found him, he was nothing but a calloused hermit, sheltered in a small cottage, miles away from any form of civilization. They begged and pleaded for him to intervene; they described to him all the carnage taking place; they described how far they traveled in order to receive his help… ...but he refused.

"Why should I waste my power in attempt to spare a world as undeserving as this one? Where people enslave one another just for the color of their skin or for having an extra set of ears. Where nobles can eat to their heart's desire, but do not consider even batting an eye at those living on the streets, unsure of when their next meal will be? It's blasphemy"

"But sir…"

"I understand that the journey you four made was challenging, maybe at some points impossible. But my mind is made"

"Please sir! If we return empty handed, there's no telling if Remnant will…"

"LEAVE! Now" the wizard gave as a final warning.

The warriors grew looks of defeat before turning to walk away… …all except one. "No"

The wizard quirked an eyebrow, "I'm sorry great wizard, but we came _too_ far for this journey to be a failure." She walked onto his porch, "If you promise to help us, you have my word that once this war comes to an end, we will do all in our power to keep the world from suffering the same fate again" she walked up to his chair, "But if you don't…" she unsheathed her sword and held it to his face, "then I will try my _damnest_ to bring you by force"

Silence was all that was left in the air, the wizard staring at the sword inches away from his face. He then looked up into her eyes, "What is your name?" he asked.

The warrior became confused, but refused to let it show, "Reina. Reina Rose" she answered.

"Reina…" the wizard repeated before chuckling to himself, "I have to admit you are a persistent one. It's been a long time since I've known someone with as much determination as yourself. Someone with the same burning passion to do good and expecting nothing in return." He slowly stood up, the sword never leaving his face.

Seeing this made him laugh before stroking his beard, "Ah yes, I _have_ been aware of this savage war for quite some time now. For years I have been wanting to end this battle since the moment it erupted, but I knew I couldn't alone. So I hid myself as a form a challenge; and since you four were able to make it here still intact, and even had the audacity to stand up to someone with as much power as myself, you have certainly proven yourselves. Very well… … …you have my services" he said with a smile.

Reina stood there at a complete loss for words. With a loud clang, her sword hit the floor as she enveloped the wizard in a hug, bursting into tears, "Oh thank you good sir *sniff* Thank you, thank you, thank you"

The wizard chuckled again, "Do not thank me just yet, we still have much work to do" he said, with Reina and the rest of the warriors nodding in agreement.

And after three long years, peace was finally brought back. With the help of the wizard, Reina and the other female warriors were able to establish the kingdoms of Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas; all of them being the leaders of each respectively.

The wizard himself, however, knew that using his powers to this degree would lead to his death. So to make sure that none of their work was for naught, the wizard granted Reina and the warriors the rest of his power, to ensure that the only means they achieved peace would never be lost.

* * *

"Jaune! Pay attention!"

"Ow! Jeez Emily, you don't have to be so loud, I'm right here" Jaune chastised.

"Then why don't you pay attention like everyone else" she said, flicking him in the forehead.

"Ahem!" announced Jaune's eldest sister Mia, "If you would ALL pay attention, that would be swell. Now, today in school we learned about…"

Jaune sighed as he and six of his sisters sat on the living room floor to listen to their oldest lecture them about school lessons. He and his family lived near the very end of midtown Signal; they weren't poor, but they just barely qualified to be middle class.

Having eight children, meant eight mouths to feed. Their father worked as a merchant at the town's bizarre, while their mother worked as a house keeper, cleaning the houses for any noble who required it; and that's just to put food on the table.

In order to keep a roof over their heads, the arc's came up with another plan. Mia, the eldest daughter, would go to school every day, and when she returns, she reteaches the subjects to her brother and sisters, that way they could save money to pay taxes for the house. It wasn't perfect, but they were able to manage.

"…so Jaune, if I take two and raise it to the third power, and multiply it by three. What would I get?"

Jaune frowned as he looked at the problem, "I-I don't know"

Mia sighed, "Come on Jaune, you at least have to try. You know what Mom and Dad said, if we don't make this work…"

"I _know_ Mia! I _am_ trying! What else do you want from me!?" he shouted, immediately regretting it, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I've just been getting this strange feeling lately that's been getting on my nerves"

"*gasp* Oh no! Are you sick?!" asked May, one of Jaune's little sisters.

"No, no not like that. It's kind of hard to explain really… like I'm trying to remember something, but I can't"

Just then, their Mother walked in the front door, "*huff* *huff* *whew* …I'm exhausted. Jaune honey, could you be a dear and go buy some bread so I can make dinner?"

"*sigh* sure Mom" Jaune said standing up and taking the money before leaving the house.

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

"Three loaves of bread? That will be eight lien"

"Thank you" Jaune said handing the owner the needed money.

He gingerly walked through town square, walking past fellow townsfolk and saying hello to those he knew. However, it wasn't until he heard a man shouting on top of a soap box, that drew his attention.

"Do you see?!" He said holding up and pointing at a newspaper, "The kingdom of Mistral is filled with nothing but brutes and heathens! They attacked Atlas to take over their mines, not caring about how many lives they will destroy! And for what?! To control the world's supply of metal so they can satisfy their greed!" His shouting earned cheering from the small crowd around him.

This made Jaune narrow his eyes, "Um, maybe they're attacking because Atlas treats their faunus mine workers to the equivalent of _slaves_?"

His question made everyone in the small crowd look at him, "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you were a supporter of those freaks"

Jaune felt his stomach churn from all the looks, "I-I'm not… …I'm just saying" he said, turning to quickly walk away.

Meanwhile, off in the distance, two hooded figures witnessed the scene that unfolded, "Are they sure he's the one? He looks so scrawny… like he's a living string bean. Or more like a noodle? Mmmm noodles...crap I just made myself hungry" one of them groaned.

The other chuckled, "Outside appearances can be deceiving Nora. Besides, we still have our orders to keep an eye on him. Let's just see how this'll turn out." He said as they distiantly followed.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 2

**I love writing after smoking weed. It really gets the creative juices flowing :** **3**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

"I'm back!" Jaune announced closing the door behind him. When he entered the living room, he noticed that all of his sisters were gathered around their mother as she sat in a chair reading a newspaper, "Hey…what's going on?"

"Jaune, you have to come read this! This is crazy!" said Emily.

As Jaune walked closer, he noticed the title of the newspaper, _"That's the same one that guy had at town square_ " he thought, "What's it about?"

"It says here that Mistral has declared war on Atlas. Apparently due to the massive influx of faunus workers Atlas has been recruiting to work in their mines" their mother explained.

" _But they're **not** workers_ " Jaune thought.

"Here, look at this. It says when Lady Schnee of Mantle went to go negotiate with Lady Belladonna of Haven, she narrowly escaped dripping with blood" Mia said, grimacing at the thought.

"What?! That's nonsense! Lady Belladonna would never lash out during a negotiation. Especially towards a fellow Seasonal Maiden."

"It says so right here" said their mother, "Even says there were hundreds of witnesses there to see Lady Schnee's escape" she said folding up the newspaper, "Buuuut, you all shouldn't worry about this, what you _should_ be worried about, is catching up on your studies while I prepare dinner"

Groans were heard all around as Jaune's sisters re-situated themselves to learn once again, all the while Jaune was thinking to himself about what he just heard.

* * *

Weiss stood at the head of the tactician's table, strategizing with ten other tacticians about the week and a half long war. Standing next to her was one of her medics, replacing the bandages for her left eye.

"…and after taking out that last defender, we believe our ships were able to successfully drive the Mistralian forces into a tactical retreat. What should we do now milady?"

"Strengthen our defenses around the border. By NO means does anyone go on the offensive. We are not the aggressors here…"

Suddenly, a guard came in, "Excuse me Lady Schnee? Sorry for interrupting, but you have a guest"

"I'm occupied at the moment, tell them to wait outside" Weiss said waiving him off.

"I'm…afraid I can't do that milady" just as he said this, a woman walked in wearing a white and gold silk dress with an orange sash. It was the Summer Maiden, Yang Xiao Long.

Weiss narrowed her eyes, "You're all dismissed"

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

They stood in silence, lilac eyes staring into a single ice blue. "Hello Lady Schnee" Yang greeted.

"Hello Lady Xiao Long" Weiss greeted back.

Yang began walking up to her, glancing at her bandaged eye, "So what's going on?"

"Don't act ignorant Yang. You know _damn_ well what's happening. And don't even think about coming up with any sympathetic excuses for that _belligerent_ you call a Lover" Weiss said, her voice bathed in anger.

"*sigh* We're not lovers Weiss, those were only one time affairs. I'm only here to listen to your side of the story"

"MY SIDE! That _heifer_ attacks me and my people over some petty mine workers and you want to hear…" She paused to recompose herself, "you want to hear my side of the story?"

"Yes. When I'm done, I'll leave you back to your work; that's all I ask" Yang said, her voice subtle and calm. "What happened?"

Closing her eyes, Weiss walked to one of the windows in the room. "It began several days ago. One day, Lady Belladonna appeared at my borders. My General informed me she arrived overnight, demanding my presence, but it wasn't until mid-morning that we chose to grant it"

Yang came up next to her as she continued, "She requested that I come alone and I did. I wanted to show that I was willing to listen to whatever she had to say. When I entered her quarters, she greeted me and ... we talked."

"About what?"

"*sigh*… …she demanded that I release all of the faunus workers we have within our mines"

"Most of the world would like to see that. Myself included"

"But you _know_ why we can't right?"

"Because your economy relies too heavily on them, I do… … … _and Blake should have too_ " Yang thought to herself.

"Yeah! And when I told her that _exact_ reason, she attacked me Yang! She nearly sliced my eye in half!" Weiss yelled, motioning to the bandage over her eye in emphasis. "The medic said it would be a _miracle_ if its vision returned"

Yang reached out and felt the bandages, feeling an unnatural texture when she lightly traced over her eyelid, "When I was able to knock her down I managed to make an escape, and now here we are"

"I'm sorry that happened"

"Don't be. *Tsk* and to think she calls herself a Seasonal Maiden. We're supposed to maintain peace on Remnant! It's our duty!"

"Well you're not in the light here either Weiss. We both know that slavery is _just_ as big a crime against humanity as war is"

"But unlike war, the metals that come out of our mines benefit the world"

"Then maybe Blake thinks what she's doing is for the benefit of the world as well"

Weiss' anger finally boiled over, "...get out"

They stared at each other for several seconds... ...before Yang bowed her head, "As you wish, Lady Schnee" she said, making her way to the door.

::: :::: ::: ::: :::

When she approached her ship, she was greeted by her retainers, Sage Ayanna and Scarlet David. "How did it go Lady Xiao Long?" asked Sage.

"*sigh* Unfortunately, it seems that all the accusations are true" she said begrudgingly.

"So where do we go now milady?" asked Scarlet.

"To Mistral. I want to hear how Blake plans to explain herself"

* * *

Oliver Arc had just finished closing up his stand, planning to head home to his family. As he left town square, he met up with his friend Roman, "Hey Roman. Why the face?" he asked, noticing the seriousness of his expression.

"Olly, we need to talk" Roman said, joining in the walk.

"What about?"

"Your boy Jaune. This afternoon when I was walking into the bakery I saw him with a large group of people staring at him. I don't know what he said, but from what I could tell it sounded like something a faunus supporter would say"

"What?! Not possible, he knows that are family doesn't sympathize with those _things_ " Oliver said.

"Ehh, I'm sure it was nothing. But just make sure your boy watches that smart mouth of his. It might get him killed one day" Roman said lighting a cigar between his lips.

"…Hmph" was all Oliver gave as a response.

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

When he entered his home, he was greeted by the smell of dinner, "Jaune! Get in here! Now!"

Seconds later Jaune entered the living room, "Yeah?"

"Please tell me why on my way back from work, I hear that you've been heard speaking the words of a faunus apologist?!" he fumed.

Jaune was finally sick of it, "Because they're _slaves_ Dad! They're being treated like animals and are forced to work in mines against their will! Even though they share the same rights as any other human bei..."

*SMACK* his father slapped him across the face, "No son of mine is going to grow up thinking that those _animals_ are the equivalent of humans" he said in a low voice, "Go to your room. You're not allowed to eat until you've set your mind straight".

Jaune glared at him…before sighing in defeat, "Yes sir"

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Jaune silently stared at the ceiling of the bedroom he shared with three of his sisters. The sky outside had slowly transitioned from evening to night, leaving the room nearly pitch black.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Yeah?"

The door opened, revealing his mother carrying a steaming bowl and two slices of bread, "Hey honey"

"Hey mom. What's the food for?"

"Why, this is your dinner sweetie" She said with a smile.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to eat?"

His mother set the bowl down on his lap, "Well… we hand lamb stew boiled with an onion and yam broth. I couldn't go to sleep knowing you missed your favorite meal"

Jaune looked at the steaming bowl of stew, feeling his stomach grumble, "Thanks" he said taking the spoon in hand.

As he proceeded to eat, they sat there in silence. Jaune, already knowing why she came, chose to speak, "You're here about what happened earlier. Right?"

His mother sighed, "Yes"

Jaune set down his bowl, "Mom. You can't honestly think that faunus are lesser than humans can you?"

She closed her eyes, "We all have our own opinions Jaune…"

"But they're slaves Mom!"

"Even if you think that dear, there's nothing you can do. Without them, how else would Atlas be able to supply the metal needed to meet the world's demand?"

Jaune looked down at his stew, unsure of how to answer. His mother put her hand on top of his, "Look Jaune, you will always be entitled to your own opinion. But Just know that a majority of Vale doesn't think the same way. You need to be more careful if you feel like voicing your beliefs"

Jaune slowly nodded, "Okay mom"

His mother smiled again, "Good. Now hurry up and finish so you can to get to bed early. Remember, you promised to take your sisters to Beacon Guild to go watch the knights train"

"Hehe, yeah, alright" Jaune said as his mother left the room, leaving him to finish his meal in solitude.

* * *

The next morning, Jaune and his sisters woke up early; Mia to go to school, and the rest to go to the Guild. As they walked through uptown Signal, they came across the intersection where they had to split off, "Alright guys, this is where I depart. Tell me how it goes okay?" Mia requested.

Jaune and the rest nodded, "You got it" he said as they parted ways.

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

They walked for several more minutes until they caught sight of the castle like building near the border of the city, "There it is!" shouted May.

"Yeah, let's hurry!" said Gretchen as she, Sarah, May, Mary, and Amelia started running towards the institute.

"Guys slow down!"

"Don't even bother Jaune, you know how much they love watching the knights train" said Emily.

"*sigh* I know, but there's no need to rush, the knights are gonna be training all day"

"But they only allow citizens to watch once a month, so you can see why their excited"

"…I guess" Jaune said as he and Emily went to join them.

When they finally caught up, they saw Gretchen and the rest up against the gargantuan fence bordering the massive courtyard where the knights practiced their combat exercises. "Jaune, Emily come quick! These two knights look like they're about to spar!" Mary said with excitement. As Jaune and Emily looked through the fence, they saw two knights take battle stances.

One was a large burly young man wearing silver and gold trimmmed armor with a phoenix insignia on his chest-plate. He had light brown hair that was swooped back with dark blue eyes.

The other was a girl wearing orange-gold armor on her legs and left arm; she also wore an auburn brown corset with gloves and combat heels to match. Her hair was a burning scarlet red and was tied in a ponytail, decorated with an orange-gold headpiece; and her eyes were colored a piercing emerald green.

The former made the first move; clutching his mace in both hands, the young man swung it in a wide arc, aiming for the girls left shoulder. Using her shield, the girl blocked the attack, following up by spinning and slashing her dulled broadsword to land a strike on the young man's ribs, "One" the girl said.

The young man grunted before swinging his mace again. The girl quickly parried with her sword as they began exchanging blows, their weapons clashing together over and over again.

When the girl saw an opening, she slashed his forearm, leaving his chest wide open for her sword to cut across it, "Two"

The young man grunted as he regained himself. Taking his mace, he delivered an overhead swing, with the girl parrying it in quick reaction. With a confident smirk, the young man kneed her stomach, causing her to stumble; he then swung his mace low, hitting her behind the knees, sweeping her legs from underneath her.

However, the girl caught herself and used her momentum spin and kick the young man behind his ankles, causing him to fall instead and hit the ground with a loud thud. When the girl stood, she held her sword to his face, "And that make three" she said with a smile.

"Ugh…lucky shot"

"I'd hardly say as much Cardin" the girl said offering a hand to help him to his feet, "You just need to stop thinking so offensively. You need to practice more on when to focus on defense so you don't exert all your energy and leave an opening. Let's try it again" she said taking her battle stance, the young man taking his as well.

"…Wow…" Jaune said in amazement.

"Um, Jaune? Are you coming?" Emily asked.

"Huh? What?"

"They just opened the gates. Are you gonna come? Or are you just gonna stare at that redhead all day~?" she asked teasingly.

This made Jaune blush before he followed suit.

As they walked through the courtyard and into the guild, the redheaded warrior couldn't help but notice the blonde boy as he and his sisters walked inside. " _So, that's the boy who's said to be the one huh?"_ she thought to herself before proceeding with her spar against her opponent.

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

They traveled throughout the entire castle like building; the immaculate structure and design earning "Oo's" and "Ah's" from Jaune's sisters. Touring them through the institution, was one of the mentors as well as one of the highest ranking members of the Vale army, Captain Peter Port.

"And THIS is our forging room. It is where our knights learn and hone their skills in forgery. Using them to create their own weapons, as well as buff out any scratches they've received on the battle field"

When they entered the room, they were all immediately struck with a wave of intense heat, "Ah, and there is one of my favorite students" he said pointing to a girl with short orange hair and turquois eyes. She wore a silver chestplate, a black and pink combat skirt, and knee high boots of the same color.

When she turned to look at them, her face instantly beamed with excitement, "Captain Port! Who are these people?"

"Just more citizens touring the guild miss Valkyrie. Working on Magnhild again?"

The girl giggled, "You know me two well captain" she said, standing up to lift a giant Warhammer.

"Woooow" ogled Sarah, Gretchen, May, Mary, and Amelia. "That thing is as tall as you are! How can you possible carry it?!" asked May as the girl held the weapon upright next to her.

"Through years and years of training little one. Pretty cool huh?" the girl said striking a pose.

Jaune was astonished; the girl was at least a foot shorter than he was, and yet she was able to wield that massive hammer as if it were weightless. "How long have you been training?"

The girl stopped posing and looked at Jaune, scanning his figure up and down, "Since I was seven" she answered, her voice noticeably more mellow.

"That's amazing. I wish I could wield a weapon like that. To be a knight and be able to do good for the world…"

"Ugh, for crying out loud Jaune, no one wants to listen to your babbling about becoming a knight. You know it can never happen" said Emily.

Jaune became flushed with embarrassment, "Come young citizens, it is time we moved on to the final room of the tour" said the captain.

The girl watched them leave before sitting back down on her stool, " _There's no way he can be the one… … can he?"_ she thought before going to work on Magnhild again.

:::: :::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

The last room they entered was no doubt the most…unique one in the guild.

All around, shelves filled to the brim with books bordered the entire room. Numerable tables were set accordingly with knights in training posted at each one. "This is where our knights practice the use of magic. During their first year, they are required to select one form of the art to specialize in; and throughout the years, they integrate it into their fighting styles as well" the Captain explained.

As he did, one of the knights in training came to the front of the room. He had long black hair with a single strand colored pink; he wore a green tunic with mid-length coattails, silver armor on his shoulders and arms, with white pants and black boots. "Ah, and I believe this young squire is about to put on a display"

When the young man turned to face the rest of the class, he took a deep breath, "Alright" he said raising his hands, " _Kaze-no-ryu_!" he chanted.

Suddenly, a gust of wind was felt travelling throughout the room. As it passed each table, it picked up numerous pieces of scrap paper, and when it returned back to the front of the room, it began swirling, creating a miniature twister of debris.

"Oh man, that's so coo-Ah!" squealed Amelia as she felt something lift her up.

Before they had time to react, the rest of Jaune's little sisters were lifted as well, the young man's magic carrying them to the front of the class. "Hahahaha! Jaune look! We're flying!" laughed Mary.

The action earned smiles and laughs from all around. However, something strange caught Jaune's attention.

" _shhhhhh_ …"

" _Hm? What was that_?" Jaune thought.

" _shhhhhh_ …"

He looked to his left to see one of the many bookshelves.

" _shhhhhhh_ …"

Unconsciously, he starting walking up to it. And almost instinctively, he reached towards a book; one that was made of old, worn out leather, "JAUNE!"

Jaune turned to see Emily, the Captain, and the entire room staring at him, "what?"

"What do you mean 'what?'. I've called your name like five times but you ignored me like you're comatose" Emily said.

"Oh, sorry. It's just… it was like this book was… … whispering to me" Jaune explained.

Everyone looked at him confused, "What do you mean?" asked the Captain.

"I…I'm not sure". He opened the book, and he was instantly drawn to one phrase, "Sh…shcjelle-y-guran?" he mumbled.

Just then, in the middle of the room, the tiled floor began to crack violently. Afterwards a large tree sprouted from underneath, knocking over several tables as it grew incredibly fast, stopping once it reached the ceiling.

When the dust in the room cleared, everyone looked at the tree utterly dumbstruck. "Woah…" Jaune awed.

The Captain stood up and patted himself off, "*Ahem* I believe that is the end of our tour, if you would all follow me, I will gladly show you the exit" he said motioning for Jaune and his sisters to follow.

"Wait a minute! So we're just gonna act like that didn't happen?!" Emily asked.

"I'm afraid this happens more often than not. During these tours we sometimes get stragglers who try to use or even steal our tomes. You should count yourselves lucky that none of you got hurt" the Captain said taking the book out of Jaune's hands and placing it back on the shelf.

Meanwhile, the young man in the green tunic eyed Jaune with certainty, " _There's no doubt now_ " he thought as they left, "Come on guys, let's get this mess cleaned up"

* * *

"You should have seen it Mom! After Jaune said some weird words a giant tree just…appeared in the front of the room! It was so awesome!" May said excitingly.

"And extremely dangerous! What were you thinking Jaune? You could have seriously hurt yourself! AND your sisters!" his mother said with concern.

"I know mom, I'm sorry. It'll never happen again" Jaune promised.

His mother looked at him and huffed, "Good. Now you seven go wash up; Mia and your Father will be home soon and I need some help around the house"

"Okay" they all said in unison.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"And you're sure Peter?"

"Yes Glynda, it happened in front of everyone" 

"...Very well. Mister Lie, Miss Valkyrie, Miss Nikos?"

"Yes ma'am" the aforementioned three said in attention.

"Have you made your decision on being the boy's retainers?"

"We have ma'am" Ren said for them, "We would be honored to take upon this noble task"

"Very well. Then I advise that you take these next few days to prepare yourselves. This journey you will embark on will be a challenging one indeed"

"Yes ma'am" they said again, departing shortly after.

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Fort Nyelle. A large, fortified base located along the Northern coast of Mistral. Within it was Blake, along with her retainer and head medic, "How does that feel?" the medic asked, applying a small amount of pressure just below Blake's breast.

Blake winced, "Better… …for the most part"

The medic then dipped the tips of her fingers into a salve, and proceeded to lightly rub it into Blake's skin, "Well, the bruising has gone down considerably since your altercation with Lady Schnee. I think it was wise for you not to participate in the battle"

Blake scoffed in disgust, "But if I _had_ participated, we would have been able to stand our ground and not retreat like cowards" she said with distaste

"Don't blame yourself" said her retainer Adam, "She got in a lucky shot, and we did what we had to so we wouldn't gain anymore losses"

After the medic was done, Blake put her top back on, "But now they'll be expecting us, meaning their defenses will no doubt be… reinforced" she winced.

"Will you need anything else milady?" asked the medic.

"No Velvet. You're dismissed" Blake said, with Velvet bowing her head and exiting soon after.

When the door closed behind her, Blake started to get up slowly, "Blake, don't stand. You need to lay down and…"

"Not now Adam. We need to plan out our next form of attack…" before she could finish, a knock was heard at the door. "*sigh* You may enter"

When it opened, it revealed a familiar woman with a long golden mane, "I hope I'm not interrupting"

"Lady Xiao Long? To what do we have the honor of…"

"Adam, you're dismissed" Blake interrupted.

"But... what about planning our…"

"Adam… … Leave" she said again in a low voice.

He looked back and forth between the two Maidens before nodding, "Very well, Lady Belladonna"

:::: :::: ::::: :::::

When they had the room to themselves, Blake turned her back and crossed her arms, "Why are _you_ here?"

"I think you already know" Yang answered as she walked up to her, her bare feet softly padding against the ebony wooden floor.

Blake closed her eyes, "If you're here to persuade me to stop, you might as just save your breath. I'm doing what I must for the welfare of my kind"

"And I believe you. But you know your duty as the Fall Maiden. You can't just engage into war even though the means may seem justified"

Hearing this made Blake turn to face her, " _May seem_?! You have _no_ idea what it was like! What it was like to see all those captured faunas on those cargo ships! To see women and men wearing leashes and collars! To see CHILDREN with numerous _whip lashes_! To see every single civilized person on those ships, with their ears tagged as if they were _herded animals_!"

Yang was unsure how to respond, "I know damn well what my duty is as Fall Maiden. And if bringing back true peace to Remnant means going to war, then there is nothing that will stop me" Blake said turning her back once again.

Instead of saying anything, Yang enveloped Blake in a gentle hug from behind, "… … …I still love you Blake. If you continue this fight, I'll be forced to intervene. Please…don't do this…"

"I'm sorry… but it's no use"

They stood there unmoving for several minutes. Leaning in, Yang kissed Blake on her cheek, afterwards silently leaving the room.

* * *

Outside of the Arc residence, thunder boomed and lightning clashed as rain harshly pelted the ground.

"I don't think the weather will be letting up anytime soon" Jaune's father said as he sat down on his chair in the living room.

"Well good, maybe you can use the opportunity to spend more time with the kids" giggled Jaune's mother as she went into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the living room, Jaune and his sisters were currently playing 'A Million Lien, but…' as a way to wait out the storm.

"Okay Jaune…" Mary said picking up a card, "You get a million lien, but…every time you brush your teeth, you had to drink a cup of horse radish!"

"Ew no! That's disgusting!" he said, earning laughs from all his siblings.

His father chuckled as he picked up a newspaper and began to read it, when suddenly…

*Knock Knock Knock*

"*sigh* Who could be knocking in a storm like this?" he asked getting out of his chair and walking to the door.

When he opened the door, he was greeted by a woman in a hooded cloak; she had blonde hair and green eyes along with glasses that hung on the bridge of her nose. "Yes?"

"Is this the Arc residence?"

Jaune's father raised an eyebrow, "Yes" he answered suspiciously.

"Splendid. I apologize for the sudden intrusion. My name is Glynda Goodwitch, I am the headmaster of Beacon guild. May I come in? I have very important matters to discuss in regards to your son"

"Jaune? Is this about what happened during the tour? We already apologized and we've been told that the government would cover the costs…"

"I'm afraid it's more important than that Mr. Arc. Please"

Jaune's father pursed his lips, before finally standing aside allowing Glynda to enter.

"What's going on? Who is that Oliver?" asked Jaune's mother.

Glynda spoke first, "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, the headmaster of Beacon guild" she removed her cloak, "If it is possible, I would like to discuss important matters with your son"

Jaune looked at Glynda confused, "Me?"

"Well with all due respect Miss Goodwitch, if the matter is as important as you say it is, I would prefer if we were here to listen as well" said Jaune's father.

Glynda nodded, "Of course".

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

After they all became situated, Jaune's mother spoke, "So what is this about?"

Glynda adjusted her glasses, "Several days ago, your son attended the monthly guild tour along with his sisters. During said tour your son, from what I've been told, almost instinctively picked out _this_ tome from our collection" she said taking out the same worn out book from the tour.

"Okay. But what does that have to do with anything? Captain Port said you get stragglers more often than not who accidently use your tomes all the time?" asked Emily.

"As embarrassing as that is, I'm afraid that's not the case this time" Glynda said opening the book and flipping through the pages, "This tome, in particular, is filled with ancient spells; ones of which were only able to be used by the Great Wizard."

"The Great Wizard? You mean the one who ended the Great War of Vytal?" Mia asked.

"Yes"

"So what are you trying to say?" Jaune's father asked.

Glynda paused for a moment before continuing, "Because your son was able to conjure a spell from this tome… …we believe that he is a descendant of the Great Wizard, and is next in line to receive his powers".

Everyone grew wide eyes, "What?! How is that even possible?!" Jaune asked.

"When the war ended several decades ago, the Great Wizard granted the four warriors who aided in his effort parts of his power, making them the first to become the Seasonal Maidens. For years, all we knew was that when a maiden dies, their power is reincarnated to the next female descendent in her direct bloodline; but after extensive amounts of research, we believe we finally figured out how the Great Wizard's power is transferred as well" Glynda explained.

"Wait, wait, hold on a second" Jaune's father said, "If what your saying is true, why is it that I'm not a descendent of the Great Wizard as well?"

"You ARE Mr. Arc, but as I was getting to, we've theorized that when a descendent of the Great Wizard dies, their power only reincarnates several generations after their death."

"Hold on, you keep saying 'we'. Who else is there?" Jaune's mother asked.

"Me, the headmasters of the other four kingdom guilds, and many more. We are part of a brotherhood, one created by the original four maidens to protect them and aid in helping them maintain peace on Remnant"

Everyone remained silent, contemplating what was explained to them. "So…what do you want from me?" asked Jaune.

"It's not what we want, it's what we need" Glynda began, "War has made its way back on Remnant, and since your next to receive the Great Wizard's power, we need your help in restoring peace"

"But…how am I supposed to do that? That spell I casted at the guild was an accident, I didn't know what I was doing" Jaune said.

"We came up with a plan. You're the very first descendant we discovered to have the ability to use the Great Wizard's power, but unlike him, you possess only a mere fraction. In order to unlock your full potential, you must go to the current four maidens and get back the power the Great Wizard granted their ancestors."

"Absolutely not!" shouted Jaune's father, "It's way too dangerous, I will not allow my son to go to war to get himself killed!"

"I'm afraid the decision is up to your son Mr. Arc" Glynda said.

The entire room looked at him, "Jaune… …what do you think?" asked his mother.

Jaune looked at his mother, his father, and every single one of his sisters before closing his eyes, "… … ... ...I'll do it"

"What?! Jaune no! What if something bad happens to you!" shouted Emily.

"You need not worry, we will provide the best personnel to ensure your brother's safety" said Glynda.

Before Jaune could react, May, Amelia, Mary, Gretchen and Sarah took hold of him, all of them in tears, "Please don't go Jaune! What will we do when you're not here?!" asked Gretchen.

Jaune smiled as he patted her head, "You'll all do fine. I promise whenever I get the chance, I'll write back" he said as he stood up.

"Jaune…" His mother said, "Are you sure this is the choice you want to make?"

"Yes. I've always wanted to do good for the world; and even though this is far different from being a knight, I feel it is what's right"

Jaune's father came up to him and pulled him into a tight embrace, afterwards he took hold of his shoulders and looked him in the eye, "You better come back! You hear me?! You come back without a single scratch on your body! Do you understand?!"

Jaune nodded again, "Yes sir"

"Come now Mr. Arc, time is of the essence. We must head back to the guild" said Glynda.

"Okay, but can I have just a few more moments?"

"Certainly" Glynda said donning her cloak and heading to the door.

Once outside, Jaune was immediately hugged by the rest of his family, "... ...I'll be back everyone… … …I promise I will"

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Jaune and Glynda traveled through the halls of Beacon guild; the corridors illuminated by torches and lanterns that hung from the ceiling. "So...Miss Goodwitch, you said that I have to travel to see the Seasonal Maidens. Exactly how am I supposed to do that? And where am I supposed to start?"

"Well, your most logical move is to see the one closest to us, which would be the Spring Maiden"

"You mean Lady Rose of Signal? But how am I supposed to find her? I thought she abandoned her role as the leader of Vale, which is why we have a prime minister"

"Don't fret, we know where she is. As you can imagine, when Lady Rose chose to leave her role as leader she received quite the amount of criticism, a majority of Vale referring to her as spineless and a coward. So in order to escape it all she secluded herself to the farmlands of Patch, where she raises animals and grows crops along with her wife". Glynda explained.

As she finished, they approached a wooden door, "This is where you'll be staying for the night. On the other side you will meet your retainers; they will assist you throughout your entire journey and teach you everything you need in order to fend for yourself. Once you have become acquainted, you will report to me tomorrow morning before you depart"

"Okay..." Jaune said facing the door as Glynda walked away. Taking a deep breath, he took hold of the handle and pushed it open.

When he entered, he recognized his said to be retainers from the tour he took with his sisters; all of them wearing some form of sleepwear.

"Hey hey! Look who arrived!" announced the girl with short orange hair.

"U-um, Hi. M-my name's Jaune..."

"Nice to meet you again Jaune! My name is Nora, Nora Valkyrie. I'm strong, powerful, I specialize in thunder magic, and I am an absolute MASTER in forgery! Not to mention I can also..."

"Okaaay Nora, I think he gets it" Interrupted the young man with a pink stripe in his hair. He stood up to greet Jaune, extending his hand outward, "I'm Ren, Lie Ren. Judging from the tour I think you can already guess what form of magic I specialize in"

"Yeah, wind magic right?" Jaune said, meeting Ren halfway to complete the exchange.

As Ren nodded, Jaune's attention was immediately drawn to the final occupant of the room; it was the girl he and his sisters watched spar in the guild's courtyard. She was sitting on her bed undoing the headpiece to her armor. After two clicks she removed the piece, making her scarlet red hair fall freely down her shoulders and back. When she looked at him, he felt his cheeks heat up, "Hello, my name is Pyrrha Nikos. It's a pleasure to meet you"

"Y-yeah, same" Jaune said awkwardly, "I-I remember watching you spar. I-it was amazing how you were able to take down your opponent so easily"

Pyrrha giggled, "Well it wasn't as easy as it looked. Cardin is a lot more skilled than some people would think..."

"Oh stop being so _modest_ Pyrrha" Nora interrupted, "Yeah, what she's failing to inform you is that she is actually the best fighter in the entire guild" she said with a big grin.

"Nora, you know how much I hate bragging. But yes, at this moment and time I am currently number one in the ranks"

"Heh, I can only imagine. Do you specialize in a specific form of magic too?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, I actually use polarity as my specialty"

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. I know it's a bit unorthodox, but I think it's the form that best fits my fighting style" Pyrrha said raising her index finger. As she did, a candle holder from one of the night stands began to rise and float to the middle of the room.

"Wow. I wish my sisters were here to see this. They would have liked that... a lot..." Jaune trailed, his tone softening at the thought of his sisters.

Seeing this, Nora came up to him and put an arm around his shoulder, "Hey listen... ...we know it was hard for you to leave your family, especially on such an abrupt notice like this. But just know that we're here to protect you, and we'll make sure you get to see them again one day"

"...Thanks. This is all still so...surreal. I still have trouble believing that _me_ , of all people, would be a descendent of _the_ Great Wizard"

"Hehe, well get used to it. Being the Great Wizard's descendent means you'll be able to control almost every single form of magic. That's another reason why we were assigned as your retainers"

Jaune looked at her confused, "What do you mean?"

"Did Goodwitch not tell you?" Ren started, "During our travels we are to also teach you simple techniques for wind, thunder, and polarity magic as well. Since you will be able to use almost every form of magic like Nora said, it's only logical that you learn the basics along the way"

"Not to mention you could also use some exercise. I mean you're basically a human twig" Nora giggled poking Jaune's biceps.

"H-hey!"

"Nora, enough" Pyrrha yawned, "We should really get ourselves to bed. Goodwitch said we will be departing at sunrise"

"*sigh* alright, alright" Nora said walking to Ren's bed. When Ren slid over, she lied down as he pulled the covers over them both.

Jaune smiled as he watched the to go to sleep in the same bed, only to be interrupted again by Pyrrha coming up to him, "There's some ink and paper on your nightstand if you feel like writing to them before we leave" she whispered, motioning to Jaune's bedside.

"...thanks"

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

_Dear Everyone,_

_Well, I guess this is it. We leave for our journey tomorrow morning, so you probably won't be hearing from me for a while. I hope you all take care, and I will be thinking about you every day. I love you all, and I miss you._

_Sincerely, Jaune._

Jaune wiped his eyes as he read his letter for the tenth time. Setting the quill back in the ink, he set his letter on the nightstand and proceeded fall asleep.

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

_"_ _Mommy!" shouted a little girl as she knelt down next to her mother. All around them, their house was burning with enormous flames._

_Her mother attempted to sit up, but couldn't do to the sheer pain; her stomach impaled from a fallen timber, "Aaargh! Nora...listen to me. I need... I need you to run... ...run as far away from here as you c..." before she could finish, she coughed up blood as her body fell limp._

_"_ _Mommy? Mommy?! Mommy!" Nora shouted as she desperately tried to shake her mother awake._

_"_ _Did you here that?! I think there's one left in that house! Find them and kill them!"_

_Hearing this, she quickly ran for the side entrance of what used to be her home. When she made it outside, the scene she was greeted utterly terrified her._

_Her entire village was on fire, and in the streets, strange people with animal ears were killing those she once called neighbors and friends, "Hey! There she is! Get her!" she heard one of them shouted. With a look of horror, she turned-tail and ran towards the forest._

_She didn't know how fast she was going, or how far she got, but she heard them gaining on her; she heard the barking of dogs as well, their outbursts getting closer and closer._

_She looked back to see one of them directly behind her, its teeth bared as it pounced, its jaws lunging for her neck..._

Her eyes shot open, she looked back and forth rapidly as she uncontrollably hyperventilated, "Nora. Nora, it's okay... it was just a dream" Ren whispered, but when she didn't respond, he pulled her into a hug and gently stroked her hair.

They laid like that for several minutes until Nora eventually calmed down. When her breathing was back under control, she looked up into Ren's eyes, "Did you have that dream again?"

She slowly nodded before burying her head in his neck, "They keep getting worse and worse Ren. How do I make them stop?" she asked, her eyes stinging with tears.

"I'm not sure. All we can do is hope they will eventually. Just try to get some sleep okay?"

She wiped her eyes, "okay..."

Meanwhile, Jaune secretly watched the altercation between the two, " _I wonder what that was about_ " he thought before going to sleep again himself.

* * *

The next day, everyone woke at the crack of dawn. After they finished packing, they made their way to Glynda's room, where she began to debrief them on where to go as their first destination.

"You are all prepared yes? You've packed food as well as medical supplies and materials for making camp?"

"Yes ma'am" replied Pyrrha, Ren and Nora.

"Excellent. Now, your first destination will be the farmlands of Patch. In order to get there, you must travel North-West until you reach the Port town of Dele. From there you will catch a ferry that will take to the island, where you will have to search for Lady Rose as we do not know her precise location. Are there any questions?"

"Yes. Where do we go afterwards?" asked Jaune

"In my opinion. I think the wisest decision will be to travel to Vacuo to see Lady Xiao Long of Shade. Seeing as her nation is currently neutral between the ever-growing conflict between Atlas and Mistral, you could rest there and plan out your next move along with her" Glynda explained. "Anything else?"

They all shook their heads, "Very well. I wish you all good luck, and the upmost safest of travels" she said with smile.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

It took the group about ten minutes to reach the border of Signal. When they arrived at the city gates, they all took a moment to look at the city one last time.

"Well...this is it" said Pyrrha. She looked to her left at Jaune, who himself mindlessly stared at the massive gate, "Jaune...are you ready"

He looked back at her a nodded, "Let's do this" he said as they finally set off on their journey. "So what's our first plan of action?"

"Well, according to the map, Dele is about 30 kilometers from here. Our best option would be to walk until sunset and set up camp, and tomorrow you'll start your training" Ren explained as he skimmed over the map in his hand.

"Okay. So what form of magic will I be learning first?"

"Woah, woah woah. Hold your horses there" Nora started, "You can't just jump into the fray head on Jaune. First we need to get your skinny ass in shape! I mean you can't honestly think you can take on those Mistralian bastards with magic alone do you?"

Hearing those words surprised Jaune, "U-uh...no. I guess not"

Nora then grew a huge grin, "Well good. First thing tomorrow, I'll start you off with a ten-kilometer jog. Next you'll do one hundred pushups, and then one hundred and fifty sit-ups, and after that two hundred squats. And then after our warmup we'll get to the REAL training..."

"Um Nora. Our job is to condition him, not torture him" Ren chided.

"Oh come oooon, I'm just kidding. I mean how could you possibly begin a workout without benching Maggy here seventy-five times?"

"Nora!"

"Okay, okay, we'll start the morning with a light jog. You know Ren, you really need to work on your sense of humor" she said nudging Ren in his ribs.

Jaune and Pyrrha chuckled at the two's humorous interaction; but then, Jaune recalled the words Nora had just said, shocked that she could say such a thing.

* * *

After hours of walking, the group settled upon a clearing in the forest they were currently cutting through. Once their tents were set, Ren and Nora took on the task of gathering firewood, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha alone with one another.

"Hey Pyrrha?" Jaune asked.

"Yes"

"Do you remember what Nora said this morning? About how 'I can't take on those Mistralian bastards with magic alone?'"

"Your gonna ask if she's racist aren't you?"

"... ... ...is she?"

Pyrrha sighed before answering, "I've known Nora ever since I started training at the guild, but her past is somewhat...complicated. But even though I don't agree with her on her views of faunus, we're still friends nonetheless."

"But what could have possibly happened to make her hate an entire race?"

"Hey guuuys! We're baaack!" they heard Nora shout as they saw her and Ren arrive in the distance.

"I think it's best if you don't talk about it" Pyrrha whispered.

"Hey, what're you two talking about?" Nora asked as she and Ren set the wood down in a pile.

"Just about Jaune's conditioning for tomorrow, nothing special" Pyrrha lied casually.

When the firewood was all stacked, Nora pointed her finger at it and zapped it with a small bolt of electricity, instantly setting it ablaze. "Jaune, you know I was only kidding about Magnhild right?"

"Yeah I know, I just... ...wanted to make sure" Jaune lied as well, staring into the growing fire.

**To Be Continued..**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

*Cock-a-doodle-doooooooooo!*

*Cock-a-doodle-dooooooooooooooo!*

*Cock-a...

"Ugh, knock it off already! I heard you the first time!" said a woman as she walked into the chicken coup. She wore a brown vest and white blouse with the sleeves rolled up, as well as a long black dress with a red rose insignia on the side; her hair was black with red tips and tied at the nape of her neck.

Taking the bag of feed in her hand, she reached in to dig out a handful before throwing it along the floor. Seconds later the dozen or so chickens came around to start eating.

"Are they more annoying than usual today Lady Rose?"

Ruby Rose turned to see her retainer, Penny Polendina, "Penny, I told you to stop calling me that. We're married, use my first name"

Penny grew a playful smile, "What~? I can't call you Milady for old time's sake~?"

"*sigh* I'm not in the mood for that Penny" Ruby said before rubbing her temple, "Ugh, this feeling I've been having is starting to get on my nerves. I wasn't able to get any sleep last night"

"Again? That's the third time this week. Are you still sure it's nothing?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Now what work needs to be done today?" Ruby asked.

"Well, I'm about to go milk the cows, and then afterwards feed the pigs. I do believe the wheat needs to be cut..."

"Say no more, I'm on it" Ruby said as she exited the coup, leaving Penny to watch her go with uncertainty.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

When she opened the shed, she was greeted by her favorite tool, Crescent Rose; a large scythe made of mahogany wood and a silver blade. Once she grabbed it and turned around, she was greeted by her and Penny's corgi, Zwei.

*Arf*

"Aw, hey Zwei. Are you excited to help herd the sheep today?"

*Arf arf*

Ruby giggled, "Well your gonna have to wait until I'm done" she said as she began walking to the massive wheat field. When she got there, she couldn't help but smile, "This is always my favorite part"

Holding the scythe so that the blade was extended behind her, she dashed off in a gust of rose petals. Moving at near blinding speed, she zipped back and forth along the two-and-a-half-acre portion of land, effortlessly cutting down the many stalks of wheat along her way.

Once done, and all the wheat collected in a massive pile behind her, she wiped the sweat off her forehead as she panted heavily, "*whew* Nothing like a hard day's work, right Zwei?"

*Arf Arf*

"I know, I know...*huff*, we're just getting started"

* * *

Jaune gritted his teeth as numerous beads of sweat dropped from his forehead. His arms visibly shook as he tried to push his body off the ground, "Come on Jaune! You got one more left! Push yourself!" Nora shouted sitting cross-legged on his back.

Closing his eyes, he let out a shout of pure determination, fully extending his arms...only to collapse face first on the ground right after. "Good work Jaune; but we're just getting started. Take a break to get some water, then we'll get right back to it" she said getting off of him.

"*huff* *huff* yeah *huff* okay" Jaune said as he rolled onto his back.

After Nora left, Pyrrha came up to him, offering him a canteen of water, "*huff* Man *huff* do you guys seriously do this _every_ day at the guild?" he asked sitting up and taking the offering to drink, some of the water trickling down his chin.

"I'm afraid so. But don't worry, you get used to it after a while"

Jaune wiped his mouth with his forearm, "I hope so"

"Allllrighty, ready to move on Jauney boy?" Nora asked, lending a hand to help Jaune to his feet.

"Yeah, what are we doing next?"

"Hmm, let's see. We did cardio, legs, arms, chest; the only thing left is to work on this core of yours" she said lightly jabbing his stomach.

"Lead the way" Jaune said as they started towards the forest.

Meanwhile, Pyrrha stared at them before they entered the brush, particularly Jaune's shirtless form... ... imagining to herself what it will look like once the muscle definition starts to...

She immediately blushed and shook her head when she realized what she was thinking. Turning back, she rejoined Ren at the fire to pick up on her tome work.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"So what are we doing here?" Jaune asked curiously as he watched Nora look at the numerous trees.

"Ah, there's a good one" Nora said walking near a relatively short one. "WE aren't doing anything. YOU, however, are going to hang from one of these branches to do some crunches"

Jaune nodded in acknowledgement before approaching the tree. Jumping to grab the lowest branch, he eventually situated himself to where he hung from his knees, "Good, now start off easy with a rep of twenty-five"

"Alright", Jaune folded his hands behind his head and started the exercise. "Nngh...Hey Nora...can I ask you something?"

"What about?"

"This journey...nngh...why were you chosen for it?"

"Oh that" Nora started, "Well you see, when Headmaster Goodwitch and her...associates, were trying to figure out who should be your retainers, Ren, Pyrrha and I were the top three candidates because we were the highest ranked at Beacon; Pyrrha, as you know, number one, Ren second, and me third"

"Nngh...but wait...if you were chosen as a candidate...that means you had a chose right? Is there a reason why you... nngh...agreed?"

The question made Nora purse her lips, "Well, if you must know...it's because of what's happening between Atlas and Mistral. Being a part of this means that I get to help in the fight against those bastards. I mean to think they actually have the audacity to try to take over Atlas' mines. *Pfft*, give me a break"

"Hold on a second Nora" Jaune said stopping his exercise to drop from the branch, "You do realize that our mission is to bring _peace_ between Atlas and Mistral right? That means finding a way to get them to negotiate _peacefully_?"

"HA! You think those animals are capable of negotiating?! After what that _bitch_ Lady Belladonna did to Lady Schnee?!"

"Yeah! I know what Lady Belladonna did was way out of line, but that's only because Lady Schnee refused to release the slaves she and her people keep in their mines!"

"You don't know anything Jaune! You don't know anything about what they're capable of! They're deranged mutts! War-hungry heathens! Driven by their overwhelming thirst for violence! If anything, they _deserve_ to be enslaved! They don't have the right to live with the same liberties as we do!...Not after what they've done!" Nora shouted, tears welling in her eyes.

Jaune wanted to push further, "Well what _did_ they do Nora?! What did they do to _you_ and the thousands of other Vale citizens to make all of you hate them so much HUH?!"

Nora's lip visibly quivered before she turned her back to him, "We're done for the day. I'll see you back at camp"

As she stormed off, Jaune could only watch with a look of defeat.

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Nora and Jaune came back to the camp; Nora leading, while Jaune kept his distance, "That was fast. I thought you guys were going to do some core workouts?" Pyrrha said.

"Ehhh we decided to skip them for now. I actually think it's more important for him to start learning sword-play... ... _right_ Jaune?" Nora asked giving Jaune a light glare.

"Y-yeah. Besides, I was...getting hungry"

Both Pyrrha and Ren grew questionable looks, "Okay, but we still have to save the rest of our rations for dinner tonight. Our next stop will be right before Dele, where there's a river we can fish from" Ren explained.

Jaune nodded as he took a small container of rations before taking his seat around the fire, afterwards proceeding to eat, "Ren, where did you put my tome?"

"It's in the te..."

"Thanks. If you need me, I'll be in here" Nora said entering her and Ren's tent and immediately zipping the flaps shut.

Noticing the unusual action, both Pyrrha and Ren turned their attention to Jaune. "What happened back there?" Ren asked quietly with a quirked eyebrow.

"N-nothing, why do you ask?"

"Jaune, we've known Nora long enough to tell when something's wrong" Pyrrha said in the same tone, "What happened?"

Looking back and forth between the two, Jaune finally confessed, "I...I tried to get her to tell me why she hates faunus" he said. Both Ren and Pyrrha cringed, "I know you told me not to Pyrrha, but... ... I just had to know"

Pyrrha and Ren looked at each other again, "Maybe it's for the best. After all we _are_ his retainers now, and it'll be better for us not to feel malice towards one another in the long-run"

Pyrrha took a minute to contemplate this, glancing over to Ren and Nora's tent, "*sigh*... Alright"

Ren sat himself closer to Jaune as to not risk Nora hearing him, "Okay, here it goes" he started, "Nora was born in a village called Jkorvic near the North-Eastern coast of Vale, where she lived for a majority of her childhood. But one night, when she was seven, the village was attacked. She told us she doesn't remember much, but from what she could, it was by a group of faunus bandits"

Jaune's eyes widened hearing this, "They were ruthless throughout the entire onslaught. They burned down every single house and made sure every villager suffered before they died, yet somehow, Nora managed to make an escape. But as she ran for her life, they almost caught her; and they would have too, if not for the Beacon Vanguard arriving just in time to save her and drive the rest of the bandits out of what was left of the village".

Jaune was speechless, "With Nora left orphaned and without a home, the Vanguard chose to take her back to Beacon, and you can pretty much guess where it goes from there"

"... ... ...Man, I would have never guessed" Jaune said. "I should really go apologize"

"I think it'll be better to wait until she's calmed down" Pyrrha said, "Besides what she said was true, we should really get to work on your sword-play"

"...Yeah, you're probably right"

* * *

They stood out in the middle of an open field. Each of them possessing a dull broadsword and a shield; Jaune's shield more of the standard type, while Pyrrha's was a small-shield the same color as the rest of her armor. "So...why are we using real swords again? Wouldn't be safer to use...I don't know, wooden ones?" Jaune asked examining his weapon.

"Don't worry Jaune, they're dulled enough not to break the skin. With these you'll be able to get a feel of what it's like to wield a real sword, as well as get attuned to the weight and reach without having to worry about injury" Pyrrha explained. "Now, take a battle stance"

Jaune nodded in acknowledgement before taking a... rather awkward stance.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and examined his form up and down. Suddenly her sword slashed across his stomach. She then ducked and delivered a sweeping kick, knocking his legs from under him to make him fall on his back.

Jaune grimaced, "aaah, what the..." he was interrupted by Pyrrha sword coming mere inches from his face.

"Your feet should to be further apart and your knees more bent. In order to fight you'll need to have a stronger foundation, otherwise your opponents will be able to capitalize too easily" she said setting down her sword to offer a hand.

After Jaune stood back up, he took another stance based off her advice.

Pyrrha shook her head in disapproval before walking behind him, "Relax your shoulders. You too tensed up" she said taking hold of his shoulders and easing them down, "Your posture also needs to be straighter..."

Jaune blushed as he felt Pyrrha's hands on his waist and lower back. Once his posture was straightened, Pyrrha went to stand in front of him again, "That's better. Now, for our first exercise I'll be on the offensive. I want you to try and block as many of my strikes as you can, and when you see an opening, try to land a blow. Got it?"

"Yeah"

The first strike came in fast; moving his shield to his right, he blocked it just in time. The next strike was even faster, but again, Jaune blocked it. This same process repeated about six times, until...

" _There!_ " Jaune thought to himself spotting an opening. Side-stepping to his left and delivered a downward slash into Pyrrha's right thigh, making her flinch.

This caught her by surprise, "Wow. That was pretty good. Let's try it again" she said not giving Jaune time to prepare as they engaged in the exercise once more.

* * *

Later that evening, the sun teased the edge of the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mixture of orange and red. Jaune silently stood outside of Ren and Nora's tent, while Ren and Pyrrha were eating their dinner around the fire.

"Nora? Are you in there? I want to apologize... ...for before"

No answer.

"*sigh* Listen, Ren told me about what happened to Jkorvic. I had no right to try to get you to explain your past without knowing the emotional damage it must have caused you...I'm sorry"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...The flap of the tent slowly unzipped, "I'm sorry too. I know our mission is to bring peace between Atlas and Mistral, but I let my hatred get the best of me" she said stepping out.

"Does this mean you're gonna join us for dinner?"

"Dinner? Are you kidding? You still have to finish working on your core" She said with a smirk.

Jaune chuckled knowing she had her good mood back, "Lead the way"

**To Be Continued...**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

"Hahahaha! Seriously?! There's _no_ way that happened!" Jaune laughed.

"Oh yeah believe it!" said Nora, "The entire mess hall got involved! Everyone was absolutely covered with food; it was soooo much fun!"

"Until Headmaster Goodwitch came in and shut the whole thing down. She made _everyone_ participate in cleaning, even though _some of us_ had nothing to do with it" chided Ren.

"Oh please Ren, you know you had as much to do with that food fight as I did"

"No, if I recall, _I_ was the one who tried to stop you from starting it"

"Then how come you pelted that one guy in the face with a pie!?"

"I only did that in self-defense!"

"Wait a minute guys... ...do you here that?" Pyrrha asked motioning for all of them to be quiet. After they did, they could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance. "I think we're arriving at the river you mentioned Ren"

After walking several more meters, they came across not only a river, but a small waterfall, cascading down numerous rocks and pouring into a small pool; where the crystal clear water flowed southward in a continuous stream.

"Wow...it's so beautiful" Jaune awed.

"Yeah, and imagine all the fish we can eat" Nora said as her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Not to mention we can also refill our canteens" Pyrrha said.

"Alright then, I'll start fishing while you three set up camp" said Ren.

* * *

Later that night, everyone sat back after eating what could be considered a buffet. "Ohhhhh man. I can't eat another bite" Jaune groined holding his stomach.

"Ugh, same. I think I'm gonna turn in early tonight" Nora said resting her head on Ren's shoulder.

"It's probably for the best if we all do. Dele is only a short distance away, and we want to be able to catch a ferry as soon as possible once we get there" said Pyrrha.

Everyone nodded and headed for their respected tents. One after the other they entered their quarters, each of them planning to fall asleep... ...all except Pyrrha, who had a something else on her mind.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

She waited about half-an-hour to be sure everyone else dozed off. As quietly as she could, she exited her tent before slowly re-zipping it shut. Afterwards, she tip-toed away from the camp in order to go to her desired destination.

They set up camp about a minute away from the river. When she got to the small reservoir, she smiled to herself as she stared at the water, the pool seemingly glistening due to the reflection of the moonlight.

"Perfect" she said to herself. She then began to strip down; removing her armor, her corset, and her headpiece until she was completely nude.

When she approached the edge, she smiled again before stepping in one foot after the other until she was neck deep. She took a deep breath and went underwater, swimming to the other end before resurfacing and sitting herself on a rock near the edge. She sighed as the cool water encased her body, relieving the soreness in all her muscles. "Ahh, that's nice" she said, leaning her head back to look up at the moon.

" _I still can't believe I was chosen to be Jaune's retainer. To think that I'm a part of a group that's going to change the entire world for the better_ " She thought as she closed her eyes to relish in the moment.

This only lasted for seconds, however, before she felt something strange. "Mmmmhmhmhmhmhehehehehehehe-Ahahahahahahahahahaha!" she looked down to see a school of tiny fish, each one trying to nibble on her toes.

"Hahahahahaha! Cuhuhuhut it out hahahaha! Shoo! Shoo!" he said kicking her feet, making the fish swim away in terror.

"*pant* *pant* _Silly fish. But_ _I really shouldn't stay here too long. I still have to get some sleep_ " she thought, remembering the _real_ reason why she came here.

Looking around, and glancing over both shoulders, she took a deep breath. Slowly, she slid a hand down between her legs; when she caressed her clit, she bit her bottom lip as a wave of pleasure shot through her spine.

"Oh fuck" she gasped before penetrating herself with two fingers, making her back arch and her breath hitch as she started to stroke herself.

* * *

Jaune tossed and turned in his sleeping bag, seemingly restless. Sitting up, he sighed to himself, " _I can't sleep_ " he thought, " _Maybe I can go for a walk, it'll be good to clear my head_ ".

When he left his tent, he looked over to the other two, noticing they were still closed, " _Seems they're all asleep. I'll only be gone for a few minutes_ ".

:::: :::: :::: ::::

He mindlessly wandered through the forest; casually looking at the many trees that surrounded him, " _I wonder how everyone's doing back home_ " he wondered, " _Heh, maybe Mia and the rest get to eat more now that there's one less mouth to feed_ "

As he walked further and further into the forest, he could begin to hear the sound of the waterfall. " _I hope I get to write to them when we get to Dele. But I guess it'll depend on how soon we plan on taking the ferry_ " he thought, when suddenly...

"MMMMFuuuuck!"

" _What the hell was that?_ "

"UUUUuugh!"

" _That's Pyrrha! She sounds like she's in pain!_ " He thought making haste towards the direction where the sound came from.

He ran as fast as he could towards the waterfall, but when he got there, he skidded to a halt at the scene her intruded upon.

Pyrrha was bathing in the water, completely naked. She was panting heavily with her eyes closed and a massive blush on her cheeks. Her left hand was groping one of her breast, while the other was underwater moving back and forth in quick succession.

Jaune felt his cheeks redden as he quietly tried to turn back. But unfortunately, as he was back-peddling, he tripped on a tree root, causing him to fall with a loud thud.

"*gasp* JAUNE!" Pyrrha screamed in terror, quickly covering her chest with both arms, "W-w-what are you doing here?!"

"Pyrrha! I-I didn't see anything! I swear!" Jaune said averting his eyes.

"No I-it's not what you think! I-I was only taking a bath! I swear!"

Again and again they shouted over each other in embarrassment, until Jaune made the smart decision to finally go back to the camp, leaving Pyrrha by herself; both of them trying to process what just happened.

" _Oh Monty, what have I done?"_ they thought simultaneously.

**To Be Continued...**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

"We're almost done preparing for our next attack Lady Belladonna. Once we have finished making the necessary repairs to our ships, we will be more than ready to go"

"Very good General Levin, you're dismissed" said Blake,

After the general left her quarters, Adam entered moments later, "I'm assuming the battle preparations are almost complete?"

"Yes, and once they are we will depart immediately"

Adam shook his head in disagreement, "I don't think that's smart Blake. There's still one major flaw in all of this"

"And what would that be?" Blake asked, standing up from her throne and grabbing Gambol Shroud.

"Vacuo" Adam said, making Blake look at him quizzically, "If we're going to be attacking Atlas, and their defensives are fortified, then they'll most likely try to draw out the battle long enough for Lady Xiao Long and her army to join the fray"

"And if that happens, we will be overwhelmed. I'm well aware of that, and I'm still trying to figure out a solution"

"But I think I _have_ found one" he stepped to his side to reveal a woman. She wore an elegant short black dress with long sleeves decorated with red embroidery; she also wore strappy shin-high sandals and had messy black hair that draped over her left eye.

Blake rose and eyebrow, "Who is this?"

"Greetings Lady Belladonna, my name is Cinder Fall. It is an absolute honor to finally be in your presence" the woman, now known as Cinder, greeted taking a knee and bowing her head.

"She is a mage born in a village on an island off the Southern coast of Mistral; and I believe she has what we need in order to make this battle as fast and swift as possible"

Blake walked up to the mysterious woman. When she came close, she narrowed her eyes, "You're a _human_. Why would _you_ want to help us in our effort?"

The woman looked up into her eyes, "I know our heritages drastically differ milady. But I hope you will be able to understand that this is more personal than you can imagine"

"... ... ... ...go on"

"Four years ago, I travelled to Menagerie as a part of my dream to explore the world. There I met a man, one who was caring, considerate, and appreciated everything there is to life; and I loved him dearly. We made a life for ourselves in Menagerie, and we planned on getting married... ... until one day, an armada of Atlesian ships came to take away the citizens to work in their mines. The man I loved refused to go, refused to be subjected into slavery; so to make an example, they _murdered_ him in front of our entire town" Cinder explained.

"...The man you loved... ...was a faunus?"

"Yes, and it was the current Winter Maiden's mother, that caused him is unjust and untimely death" Cinder said in distaste.

Blake looked at Adam and then back at Cinder, "Very well, but what sort of skills do you possess that you proclaim will help us win this war?"

Cinder stood up, "After the Atlesians killed my fiancé, I've spent the past four years studying necromancy in an attempt to bring him back"

"Necromancy? That's a forbidden art"

"I know milady, but you must understand that I was _desperate_. Every day I spent hours upon _hours_ learning and mastering spells that would hopefully resurrect my beloved; but unfortunately, it was all for naught. However, during my studies, I've discovered a new spell; one of which I think will sooth to your liking" she explained raising her hand, " _Grimma Sonastre_ " she chanted.

Suddenly, off to the side, shadowy-red runes appeared on the floor; afterwards three creatures appeared from them. The first was a wolf-like being the size of a man; the next was a large burly bear; and the last, a creature that looked a mix between a bore and a warthog. They were all demonic in appearance; all of them having black fur and white, bone-like masks with eyes that had an ominous red glow.

Blake grew a look of both shock and surprise, "What are they?"

"Pets of mine" Cinder said, "But these are only three of the many more I can summon"

"What are you proposing we do with them?"

"Well, with these, you can drastically increase your numbers. They also make the perfect soldiers as well; they don't feel pain and they'll kill any and all things in sight on one's command" Cinder explained, "But the only downside is that one is only able to control three at a time, less they risk them going on a rampage"

"So what do you suggest?"

Cinder walked over the wolf creature to scratch it behind its ears, "Only with your permission milady, I think the smartest thing to do will be to grant every one of your soldiers this power. That way we could overpower the Atlesian forces in a matter of hours"

Blake looked to Adam, "What do you think?"

"Honestly, I think it's our best and only option"

Blake looked back at Cinder and nodded, "Very well, but on one condition"

"Anything milady"

"I wish to have this power too. It may prove useful for when I have to eventually face Lady Schnee again"

"As you wish milady" Cinder said walking up to her. "hold out your hand", Blake did as instructed. Cinder then to hold of it with both of hers and chanted another phrase under her breath.

When she let go, the back of Blake's hand had a red rune mark that resembled an eye, "Excellent, you may now go grant this power to the rest of my soldiers"

Cinder bowed, "Thank you, milady" she said as she began to exit the room.

"I'll come assist in case there's any confusion that needs to be alleviated" Adam said following suit.

* * *

The group finally arrived at the port town of Dele. It was a moderately large town, but not nearly the size of Signal. "Are you guys sure there's nothing going on between you two? I mean, you both seem very distant and you haven't said a word to each other since yesterday" Nora asked as they walked through the town square.

"W-we're fine Nora. There's nothing going on...honest" Pyrrha said awkwardly smiling at Jaune to try to make her answer convincing.

Jaune did the same, "Yeah...yeah everything's good"

"Hey guys look. I think this is where we buy our ferry tickets" Ren said pointing to a stand with a long line of people.

"Okay. Say, how about Ren and I wait in line while you two get us any supplies we need. And Jaune... ...you could also use this time to write to your family...if you want to" Nora suggested.

Both Jaune and Pyrrha blushed as they nodded simultaneously.

"Perfect, we'll meet back here once we're all done" said Ren as he and Nora went to wait in line.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Moments after they left, Jaune and Pyrrha stood together, awkwardly shifting in their spots, "Um...look Pyrrha, I didn't mean to intrude on you like that. When I heard you scream, I thought you were in pain and..."

"Jaune, I-I actually think it'll be for the best if we pretend that never happened" Pyrrha quickly interrupted.

"Uh... ...o-okay"

"Besides, you wanted to your family didn't you? We've got plenty of time before we go"

Jaune smiled, "Yeah...and I think I will"

**To Be Continued...**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Weiss was panting, utterly fuming with anger. In front of her were five targets, each about eight meters away. "Ha!" she waived Mytenaster in front of her, summoning five glyphs, every one aligned with their respected targets as a single icicle shot out of each.

*THM* *THM* *THM* *THM* *THM*

"Rrrr, DAMMIT!"

"Weiss, that wasn't bad. You hit all the bullseyes" Winter said.

Weiss shook her head, "But my accuracy is off by a whole THREE centimeters!"

"We know Lady Schnee, and it is very unfortunate. But you mustn't lose yourself to your anger. You must remain calm and keep adapting to this as best as you can" said General Ironwood.

Weiss turned to glare at him. Her left eye had finally scarred over...but not without a price. Due to the injury, she was now only able to open it halfway; and the pupil of the eye itself was left a ghostly, lifeless grey, its vision gone entirely. "I _know_ that. I'm _trying._ *sigh* I swear Lady Belladonna will rue the day she did this to me" she seethed turning back to continue her practice.

Winter and the General looked at her with pity. Winter then walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Come on Weiss, let's take a break"

"I CAN'T Winter! Monty Oum, you two don't get it! This injury is going to be with me for the _rest_ _of my_ _LIFE_! I can't stop until I've completely overcome its hindrance!" Weiss shouted. She shrugged off Winter's hand, "... ...I need to be alone" she said walking past her and the general out the exit.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

When she entered her bedroom, she immediately went to her full sized mirror. Once stood in front of it, her sight instantly beamed to her left eye. It disgusted her; the scar traveled from her cheek bone to above her eyebrow and was colored an unsightly reddish-pink.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she summoned an icicle in her hand before stabbing it through the mirror where her left eye reflected.

She fell to her knees and clenched her fists, the tears in her eyes starting to fall, "*sob* You'll pay for this"

* * *

" _Grimma Sonastre_ " Blake chanted with her right hand raised. Within an instant a demonic wolf creature appeared in front of her.

"Excellent Lady Belladonna. Now all you have to do is focus on the target you want it to attack" said Cinder.

Blake nodded before looking at the training dummy in front of her. " _Kill her_ " she thought.

The wolf then roared as it dashed towards its target. Using its hand-like claws, it sliced the head of the dummy clean off, afterwards grabbing it by the arms before gruesomely ripping it in half. "Wow"

"Beautifully done milady. Just imagine how fast we'll be able to take over Atlas with this much power"

"Indeed" Blake said as the wolf came back and sat in front of her, "Cinder, you said there are more of these we can summon than the three you showed me. What are they specifically?"

Cinder giggled, "Well I'm glad you asked milady" she said, " _Grimma Evance_ " she chanted, summoning a demon like bird. It was at least ten feet tall, and it had claws on its wings like a bat, "This is one of my personal favorites"

Blake stared at the new creature, at a loss for words. "Is there something wrong?"

"... ...This... ...this changes everything" she muttered.

"Pardon milady?"

Blake walked up to the creature to examine it closer, "We can use these to pull off an aerial assault. The Atlesian forces will never expect something like this. I need you to come with me, we have to show this off to my generals"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"And once we arrive at Atlas, we can use these new creatures to send two battalions over the border and into the heart of their kingdom. There they will infiltrate those wretched mines. Once they've killed the guards, the first battalion will take the women and children and bring them back to the safety of our ships, while the second battalion rallies the remaining men into an uprising, making us able to attack Atlas from both the inside AND outside" she explained.

"That's brilliant Milady, but won't we need more time in order for our troops to learn how to control these creatures?" asked General Levin.

"That won't be necessary" Cinder chided, "All they have to do is summon them, then they'll be in their complete control"

"Then who will be the ones leading the battalions?" asked General Lagoose.

Blake took a moment to contemplate this, "Adam, you will lead the second battalion; with your leadership and authoritative personality, you're the best one here to do it. As for the first battalion... ...Cinder?"

"Yes milady?"

"Do you think you're up to the task of bringing the slaves back? Because your calm and nurturing qualities and ability to control these creatures better than any of us here, it'll be easier for you to convince and guide the slaves back to our ships"

"Lead the first battalion? L-lady Belladonna I couldn't possibly..."

"I agree with Lady Belladonna" said General Levin, "Even though you are human, you've granted us and all our soldiers the power to win this war. We would be honored if you took upon the most delicate task of this mission"

Cinder was genuinely surprised by this. Smiling, she bowed her head, "Then it would be my pleasure"

* * *

*Ting*...*ting* *ting* *tang *tang*

Over and over Jaune and Pyrrha's swords clashed as they sparred in a reserved room on the ferry. Off to the side, Ren and Nora watched closely in hopes of helping Pyrrha judge Jaune's skills.

Jaune was started to get winded, and Pyrrha made sure to take advantage. Delivering one massive strike after another, she pushed him back to the wall. And as soon as his back touched, she threw a kick into his midsection knocking the wind out of him; afterwards she spun and used her left arm to throw a backhand, her shield stopping a mere inch from his face.

"Very good Jaune, I think we can call it a day"

Jaune clutched his stomach as he gasped for air, "*cough* *cough*...yeah. So how'd I do?"

"Hmm, well your form has improved from last time, but your stamina and endurance could definitely use more work"

"You also missed at least eight openings to land a blow" Ren chided.

"Not to mention four chances to parry, which could have led to more" Nora chided as well.

Jaune nodded listening to the constructive criticism, when a thought came into his mind, "Hey guys, I have a question"

"What about?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well...it's just that we're almost at Patch to meet Lady Rose so I can receive her power, which I'm not entirely sure how to do yet, and I have still yet to learn any magic. When will I?" he asked standing straight up.

"You will once we're confident you can defend yourself in a real fight" Ren said

"And when will that be?"

"Once you've bested me in a spar" Pyrrha said.

"Oh...so not for a while"

"Precisely" Pyrrha said earning laughs from Nora and Ren.

The duo stood up themselves, "Come on, let's get some lunch"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

After they grabbed four bowls of ramen, they made their way to the main deck of the ferry, where they walked to the guard rails in order to eat. "Wow..." Jaune awed looking out at the miles upon miles of water.

"Is this your first time out at sea?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, I just never thought it'd be so...big"

"Hey, there's a first time for everything" Nora said

"And sometimes it's best to take your time and enjoy it. That way you can remember these moments for the rest of your life" Ren said.

Jaune smiled hearing this before setting his sights back out at sea, ready to enjoy this meal along with his retainers.

**To Be Continued...**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

The ferry had finally pulled into port. Once safely docked, the captain walked out onto the main deck, "Attention everyone! We have officially arrived at Patch! Please depart the ship in an orderly fashion! We will be leaving again in exactly two hour!" he announced.

When the group exited the ferry, they took a moment to examine their surroundings. From what they could tell, Patch was definitely an agriculturally rich society. All along every street, and around every corner, there were stands selling diverse varieties of fruits, vegetables, meats, and other delicacies.

"Alright, we're here. Where do we start?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm, Glynda said that Lady Rose is a farmer. If that's the case, then we should ask the owners of these stands; one of them is bound to be selling her crops" Ren suggested.

"Agreed, let's split into groups; Ren, you and Nora can start from the east, while Jaune and I start from the west. We'll meet back here in half an hour to see what we found" Pyrrha said.

Everyone else nodded as they set off on their search.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"Wooah, Ren look at the size of these watermelons! They're huge!" Nora said in amazement as she and Ren approached their first stand.

"Ha ha ha! Well I'm glad you think so lil'lady" The large owner said, "These are some of the biggest, juiciest melons you'll ever find on Remnant. I make sure to grow them with not only the up-most of fertilizer, but with as much passion as my heart can give. So...what can I get for ya'?"

"Actually sir, we were wondering if you know anything about Lady Rose of Signal, or if you can give us any hint as to where she may be?" Ren asked.

"Lady Rose huh? That's a name I haven't heard in a while. I knew she abandoned her role as leader of Vale, but I can't imagine why she'd ever come to Patch. We're independent from all four kingdoms so if anything, I thought she'd stay in Signal, if not anywhere else in Vale"

Ren and Nora looked at each other oddly, "Okay. Thank you"

"Hey anytime. Feel free to come back whenever you like"

The duo then started making their way to the next stand, "Well that's one down...I guess" Nora said.

"Yeah, hopefully we have better luck with the next"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"Why hello young travelers. Could I interest you in some sweet potatoes? Or perhaps some cumquats freshly picked this morning? If not, then..."

"I-I'm sorry ma'am, but we were wondering if you've seen Lady Rose of Signal? Or if she's selling crops like you anywhere around town?" Pyrrha asked.

"Lady Rose? I don't recall ever seeing her here" The old lady explained.

"R-really? Are you sure?" Jaune asked.

"Positive. Trust me I would know. I've been selling here for forty years, I would have remembered a face like hers"

"Oh...well thanks anyway" Pyrrha said as she and Jaune left.

"Was she telling the truth? How could she never have seen Lady Rose?" Jaune whispered.

"She had to have been. I mean you heard her, she's been selling here for forty years" Pyrrha whispered back.

"Hmm" Jaune wondered as they moved on.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

After thirty minutes, everyone returned back to their original starting point. "Did you guys have any luck?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, nothing. Every stand owner we asked kept saying they've never seen Lady Rose either here, or anywhere else on Patch" Nora said.

"Same here. Maybe Glynda was wrong?" Jaune asked.

"Not possible. She said Lady Rose grows crops and raises animals here along with her wife; she of all people would never get that information wrong" said Ren

"Maybe we'll have more luck if we went further into town" Pyrrha suggested.

* * *

After arriving downtown, they spent another hour and a half asking every person they saw whether or not they have seen Lady Rose...to unfortunately no avail. Deciding to momentarily postpone their search, the group headed for the town's Inn in order to rest.

When they approached the Inn, however, they noticed something at the bakery across the street that particularly peeked their interests.

Near the bakery's entrance, there was a large cart with a mule. From it, people, presumably workers of the bakery, were carrying armfuls of wheat from the cart and into the building. Next to the cart, there was a man with side-burns handing lien over to a woman with bright orange hair with a pink bow. She wore a white blouse with a light grey corset and a long black dress that had a slit on the right, showing off her black stockings, while the left had a bright green vertical stripe.

"Hey guys, maybe we should ask her if she knows anything" Jaune said.

"Should we even bother? She'll probably give us the same answer as the rest" Nora sighed begrudgingly.

"We might as well. We have no other option" Ren said as they started to make their way towards her.

"Thanks again Penny, we should have your order of bread ready by tomorrow morning"

"Your welcome Tucson. And sorry I couldn't give you any more eggs than I had today. The chickens didn't lay as much as anticipated" the woman apologized.

"Ehh don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll come around tomorrow" the man chuckled heading into the building.

"Hehe, I hope so" the woman chuckled as well. When she took hold of her mule's bridle and began to walk it away from the bakery, the group approached her.

"Excuse me miss? But we were wondering if we could ask you something" Jaune said.

The woman looked at them curiously, "Really? What about?"

"We wanted to ask you if you knew anything about Lady Rose of Signal?" Ren said.

The woman raised an eyebrow, quickly eyeing all of them, specifically their armor, "Yes, I know Lady Rose" she said in a quieter tone.

"You do?! Oh thank goodness. Do you think you can tell us where she is? We're kind of searching for her?" Nora asked.

The woman looked to her left and right before leaning in, "I can, but not here. Follow me" she said. She then grabbed a strange looking bag from her cart before putting it around her shoulders like a backpack. Motioning for the group to follow her, she began heading towards an alley with the group following suit.

The alley was a considerable distance from the street. When the woman made sure they were far enough, she stopped and turned to the group, looking at them with narrowed eyes. "... ...So um...are you gonna tell us where..."

Before Jaune could finish, the woman raised her hand, and out of her bag shot twelve short swords, quickly flying around her until they levitated in an arch above her head; all of them aimed at the group.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! What are you..."

"QUIET!" the woman shouted, making Jaune gulp and the rest grow looks of concern. "You have exactly thirty seconds to tell me who you are and why you're looking for Lady Rose"

"Wait miss, I think you have us misunderstood..." Pyrrha started taking a step forward, until one of the woman's swords flew at her, stopping with its tip pressed against her neck.

"That's not what I asked. I asked _who_ you are and _why_ you're looking for Lady Rose. Nobody is supposed to know she's here and as her retainer, it is my duty to protect her from anyone who seeks her harm"

Pyrrha looked back at Jaune, Nora, and Ren, giving them a look as if asking for assistance.

Nodding, Ren stood forward as well, "We're knights from Beacon Guild in Signal. We were sent by our Headmaster Glynda Goodwitch because this boy is a descendent of the Great Wizard, and is next to receive his powers" he explained motioning to Jaune.

Another sword flew towards him, this one stopping just in front of his nose, "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Ren slowly reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "We have her seal" he said, unfolding the paper and holding it out.

Recognizing the insignia, the women's eyes widened before she immediately retracted her swords, "Oh dear, m-my sincerest apologies" she said as her swords gathered back into her bag. "Please, I shall take you to Lady Rose right away"

**To Be Continued...**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

On the outskirts of downtown Patch, the group alongside with the woman, who introduced herself as Penny, were walking on a path leading towards the vast countryside of the land. As a small form of apology, she allowed the group to place all of their supplies in her cart, making it easier for them to walk as they've been doing for the majority of the day.

"We have about one more mile until we reach our ranch. When we get there, I'll start making arrangements for your stay"

"You have our thanks Penny. But I am curious..." Pyrrha started, "Headmaster Goodwitch told us that Lady Rose secluded herself to this island, but we didn't think it would be to the degree you said, where absolutely nobody knows she's here. Why is that?"

Penny took a moment before answering, "*sigh* Lady Rose began her leadership of Vale when she was eighteen; at the time, I was her retainer for about three years. But during her first year as ruler, she just...wasn't herself. She hardly smiled, and her energetic attitude that I loved so much about her was almost non-existent. So one day, I decided to confront her in her private quarters, hoping to get an answer for her drastic swing of behavior."

"When I asked her what was wrong, she broke down immediately. She told me that she hated her role as leader. She hated having to deal with internal and foreign affairs; she hated having to sentence death to those who committed treason against the kingdom; and she hated having to deal with the pressure of always being perfect. She just couldn't take it. So I helped her in making the arrangement where she announced to the entire city of Signal that she would be stepping down and appointing a new prime minister to take her place"

"I remember that" Jaune said, "I was only about ten at the time, but I remember the massive audience gathered near the entrance of her castle. Everyone was so eager to hear what she had to say. But when she announced she was resigning, she received nothing but booing"

"It gets worse than that. After Lady Rose stepped down, she wanted to try and live like a normal civilian in Signal, so we bought a house together near uptown. But whenever she left the house to commute or go shopping, every citizen she walked passed would either look at her with distaste or insult her with crude language. It even got to the point where shop owners refused to serve her"

"How did you end up coming out here?" Ren asked.

"Well... ...after several weeks of this, Lady Rose refused to leave our house all together. I couldn't stand seeing her like that, so one day I went to see Glynda. With her financial assistance, I bought this ranch; and with the help of some of the locals, I was able to establish a good foundation with my crops and animals. Once done, I brought Lady Rose here, and I explained to her the new life we could start together, just the two of us, away from any and all forms of criticism. She was so happy, so grateful that I did all of this for her, that I stuck by her side through thick and thin, that she asked me to marry her on the spot, and I graciously excepted" Penny explained.

"Does Lady Rose still not leave your home?" Nora asked.

"She loves helping around the ranch, especially when it's time to harvest our fruits and vegetables. But unfortunately, yes...she still refuses to show her face in public. It's taking her some time, but I'm confident she will eventually"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Several minutes later, they reached the gate that read 'Polendina Ranch'. Walking past two huge fields, one filled with corn, the other with wheat just starting to grow, they came across four luscious apple trees, where Lady Rose stood picking every one she could reach and placing them in her basket, "Ruby, I'm back"

Ruby turned to greet her wife, "Hey Penny how'd it..." and immediately frowned, "Who are these people?"

"They're knights. They were sent here by Glynda in order to see you"

Pyrrha stepped forward, "Greetings Lady Rose, my name is..."

" _Don't..._ ...call me that"

"Oh, I'm sorry"

"Penny? Can I talk to you?" Ruby said motioning for Penny to follow her.

When they were far enough from Jaune and the rest, Ruby turned to look Penny in the eye, seemingly upset, "Penny, what the hell?!" she quietly shouted, "You said you would tell me ahead of time if anyone was going to visit!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. But this was extremely last minute; after I sold the wheat to Tucson, these four came up to me. The blonde one is a descendent of the Great Wizard, and they have Glynda's seal to prove it"

Ruby's eyes widened as she looked over Penny's shoulder at Jaune, "...Okay, but just this once alright?"

Penny nodded as they headed back to the group, "*sigh* Sorry about that. So who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Ruby asked.

Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren exchanged looks before greeting themselves again, "M-my name is Jaune Arc, and these are my retainers Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren. I'm a descendent of the Great Wizard and we are currently on a mission for me to regain the power he granted to your and the other Seasonal Maiden's ancestors"

Ruby raised an eyebrow, "Regain his power?"

"Yes. But I'm not exactly sure how just yet"

Ruby pursed her lips before smirking, "Come then. Let's figure it out together" she said, earning smiles from Jaune and the rest as they starting heading towards the large house at the other end of the ranch.

* * *

Shade, the capital city of Vacuo. In the throne room of her palace, Yang Xiao Long lied on her royal chaise, and at the end of it sat her personal masseuse, currently giving her a foot massage. "Mmmm, right there~"

"My my Lady Xiao Long, you seem to be carrying more stress than usual as of late" her masseuse said, expertly using his thumbs to knead deeply into the arch of her right foot.

"*sigh* I know. I just can't stop thinking about Weiss and Blake. On one hand, Weiss is only performing her task as a ruler, doing what's necessary in order to protect her people. And on the other is Blake, willing to break our moral code as Seasonal Maidens in order to free her kind from the injustice of slavery"

"Your simply feeling conflicted milady" her masseuse said switching feet, "But even though you, me, and all the citizens of this kingdom more than disagree with the practices taken by Atlas with their mine workers, Lady Belladonna was the one who _attacked_ Lady Schnee. Mistral is the aggressor; and if they choose to attack again, you'll _have_ to interject in Atlas' favor."

Hearing this, Yang begrudgingly looked to the floor. "... ... ... ... ...You still have feelings for Lady Belladonna, don't you?"

she closed her eyes, "...Yes"

Her masseuse moved down to the heel of her left foot, "Love can truly be a blessing milady. But in times such as these, and in a position as high and prominent as yours, it can sometimes be a detriment. Clouding your judgment, and possibly causing hesitation in the heat of battle"

"I... ...I know that. I just...I just wish it didn't have to come down to this"

"I'm only giving my opinion milady. But when the time comes, I only hope that you do what's right and stick to your moral code, no matter what happens" her masseuse said, now taking hold of both her feet.

"... ... ...I will" she said looking to the floor again.

Seeing this, her masseuse smirked before softly fluttering his fingers against her soles, "Hmhmhmhmhm Neptune that tickles" she giggled.

"Just trying to make you smile milady"

Instead of objecting, she laid back to enjoy it for now; in hopes of taking her mind off what she'll eventually have to do if this conflict were to continue.

**To Be Continued...**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

When the entered the estate, Ruby and Penny lead the group into their living room, where they all sat down on their fancy couch. "Okay, I'm going to prepare some tea. Would any of you like a cup? I'm sure after a long day you all could use some" Penny offered.

"That would be great Penny, thank you" Pyrrha said.

As Penny entered the kitchen, Ruby sat down in a chair set across from the couch, "So...you're on a mission to regain the Great Wizard's power. Is there any particular reason why?" she asked.

The group grew confused, before Ren spoke up, "Are you...not aware of what's happening between Atlas and Mistral?"

"No. I don't concern myself with foreign conflicts anymore. This island is neutral between the four kingdoms, the only time the citizens here care about them is when they come to buy our products"

"Well we hate to inform you, but the kingdom of Mistral has declared war on Atlas. The first of their battles had concluded a couple weeks ago, but we fear that the next will begin any day now" Pyrrha explained.

"Hmph, so she finally did it, did she?"

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"Lady Belladonna. Ever since she discovered Atlas had been treating faunus as slaves, she was eager to confront Lady Schnee about it; but she knew she couldn't until she discovered how they were obtaining them. Based off what you're saying, it seems she finally found one of their slave ships"

"We don't know for sure. All we're concerned with is trying to bring peace before it gets any worse, which is why I need your power, to aid us in our effort" Jaune said.

Ruby chuckled, "That makes sense, but I don't know how you plan on regaining the power from Lady Schnee and Lady Belladonna considering these circumstances"

Just then, Penny came back with a tray that had a tea kettle and several tea cups, setting it down on the small table in between them all, "Careful, it's hot" she said going back into the kitchen.

Ruby took hold of the kettle and poured herself a cup, "Well we actually planned on heading to Vacuo to see Lady Xiao Long of Shade. We're hoping once Jaune receives her power, she will provide assistance for when we travel to Atlas" Nora said.

"Oh yeah, that's right! Lady Xiao Long is your sister, isn't she?" Jaune asked.

Ruby scoffed, "She's not my sister. Not anymore." At that everyone remained silent, "...I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I'm assuming by 'assistance' you mean she'll hopefully lend her army to travel alongside you?"

"Y-yes. And we're also hoping that Jaune, with the resulting power of two Seasonal Maidens, will be enough to convince Lady Schnee and Lady Belladonna into talking peace negotiations" Pyrrha said.

Ruby blew on her cup before taking a small sip, "...So how do we do this? If _you_ don't know how to 're-obtain' my power, and _I_ don't how to give it to you, what are we supposed to do?"

"... ...Hmm... ... ...we do have one of the old tomes the Great Wizard used" Ren said reaching into his bag and pulling out a familiar book.

"Is that the same one from the tour?" Jaune asked.

"Yes. Glynda gave it to us for when you start to learn magic. But maybe there's a spell in here specifically for this occasion"

"It's worth a shot" Jaune said taking the book and opening it. Flipping page after page, he drew in closer to try to find any spell that will work, "I'm not seeing anything in..." before her could finish, a strange voice caught him off guard.

" _Page...one...seventy...eight..."_

Raising an eyebrow, he turned to the aforementioned page, and he was drawn to a phrase, "Waitâ€¦I think I found it"

"You have? Fantastic" Ruby said setting down her cup, "Let's do this"

"Okay. Uh... ...Shiaah Eksille?" Jaune chanted. They waited several seconds, but nothing happened.

"...Nothing happened" Ren chided.

"Maybe you two have to hold hands or something" Nora suggested.

Ruby raised an eyebrow and looked at Jaune, "Let's see" she shrugged scooting forward in her chair and reaching out her hands over the table.

Jaune mimicked her as they clasped hands together, "Ready?"

"Yeah"

He nodded, " _Shiaah Eksille"_ he chanted. Just then, a strange ominous red glow began emanating from Ruby's chest, just below the base of her neck.

Ruby's eyes widened at this, but quickly snapped shut as an excruciating pain struck her entire body, "AAAAAaaaaaaaahhh!" From her chest two beams of the red glow began to flow out and coil their way down her arms.

Penny quickly rushed into the room, "What's happening?!

"They just started transferring Ruby's power" Pyrrha said.

"AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! It Hurts!" Ruby screamed in agony. The streams of light began flowing up Jaune's arms and into his chest.

Penny came up next to her, "Ruby, let go!"

"I can't!" she shouted, desperately trying to release her grip.

"Guys? Guys what's happening?!" Jaune asked. All around him, everything began to blur, as if her were looking through water. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora tried to talk to him, standing beside him and Ruby, but to him, all their voices came out muffled as they started to fade away in his vision.

Then... ...everything was black. All around him, there was nothing but pitch black darkness. " _Pyrrha?! Nora?! Ren?! Where are you?! What's going on?!"_ he panicked, his voice echoing throughout this empty void.

 _"_ _Great Wizard!"_ he heard a voice shout.

" _Who said that?_ "

Just then, his vision began to come back. The black void he was in slowly transitioned to a random field, where there appeared to be a battle going on. " _Where..."_

" _Great Wizard behind you!_ " shouted that same voice.

He turned to see a soldier with an axe, reeling it back for a strike. But before he could, a female warrior leaped over Jaune's head, stabbing her sword into the soldier's chest as she tackled him to the ground. When she stood Jaune grew a look of surprise at her appearance.

Her hair was the exact same color as Ruby's, but its length went all the way down her back. She also looked older than Ruby too, by at least ten years and was clad in silver armor with a red and white scarf around her neck. " _This battle is almost won Great Wizard. With one last push we can finally end this forsaken war_ "

Hearing this made Jaune confused, " _Who...who are you?"_

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Penny put two fingers to Ruby's neck. Once she felt her pulse, she breathed a sigh of relief, "She's alive"

"He is too" Ren said doing the same with Jaune, "I'm think if we let them rest, they'll recover very soon"

"So...what do we do now?" Nora asked.

"I'm not sure. I planned on making some dinner. If you want, you three can help while we wait for them to wake up?" Penny offered, with Ren and Nora nodding and following her to the kitchen. All the while, Pyrrha stayed at Jaune's side, not wanting to do anything until she made sure he was okay.

**To Be Continued...**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

Jaune continued to stare at the mysterious woman, unsure of what was happening around him, " _Who are you? What's going on?_ " he asked. However, instead of answering, the woman turned around to engage the massive group of what appeared to be an enemy army. He wanted to call out to her, but instead he heard numerous shouts from behind.

When he looked back, his eyes widened as he saw no doubt hundreds, possibly thousands of soldiers clad in a wide range of armors; some of them riding horses, while the rest were on foot. They all started charging towards him, but as Jaune began to panic, he felt his body move on its own, turning to run in the same direction as they were.

" _Woah! Woah woah woah! What am I doing?!"_ he said as he looked down at his hands. In his right he held a short sword, while his left was empty and dressed with a silver gauntlet.

When he looked up again, he saw that he, the female warrior, and the army behind him were approaching a gargantuan fortress, bordered by walls several stories tall...

his thoughts were interrupted when he ran up to his first enemy. As they swung they're mace, he parried before quickly slicing them in their neck, killing them instantly. Seconds later, the army behind him joined in, the air being decorated with the sounds of metal clashing and flesh being cut as they started their battle against the enemy forces.

" _Incoming!_ " he heard someone shout.

From the top of the fortress' walls, catapults launched boulders lit aflame to the ground below. The first landed far off to his left, its impact kicking up dirt and sending multiple bodies from both armies flying. The second landed closer to hiss right, causing the ground to shake violently as it left a massive crater. And the last was sailing right towards him, as well as everyone in his general area.

he gasped before he uncontrollably raised his left hand. From the dark clouds above in the sky, lightning came down, striking his hand to cause raw energy to flow through his arm. He then aimed at the boulder, shooting a bolt of electricity to make it explode in midair, only causing miniscule rubble to fall from its dust.

" _Great Wizard!_ " he heard the female warrior call out, " _You have to take out their catapults if we wish to infiltrate!_ "

" _I understand! I'm on it! Wait what?!_ " he said unwillingly. Before he could question, he felt a strange weightlessness throughout his body. With a glance, he saw that he was levitating, " _Wait! Wait! How am I fly..."_ suddenly, he shot forward towards the fortress' walls.

As he soared through the air, he swiftly spun left and right in order to dodge arrows and spears being shot and thrown towards him by the enemy army, even using his short sword to deflect a few.

When he got to the wall, he immediately flew upwards, the wind screaming in his ear as the g-force made his face contort. " _Aaaah! T-t-too fast!"_

He flew several more meters above the tops of the walls, stopping on a dime. He felt extremely nauseous, near the point of vomiting; but instead he raised both his hands in the air, making the clouds roar with thunder as lightning danced along them.

The dozens of enemy soldiers along the walls looked up at him, dumbstruck by his presence, " _What are you idiots doing?! Shoot him!_ "

Before they even had a chance to draw their bows, Jaune threw his hands downward, making lightning strike all of their catapults, causing them to explode into fiery debris.

" _OW!_ " he shouted. Looking at his right shoulder, he saw that an arrow was lodged into his skin. Reaching with his left, he gripped the arrow before yanking it out, " _Aaahooow! Why did I feel that?!_ " he asked. His body was then forced to raise his hand again, motioning towards all the soldiers on the tops of the walls.

Then, from the clouds, icicles rained down, impaling all of the soldiers over and over and over again, until they were all dead, _"...Oh my Oum..._ he said completely stunned.

When he looked down to the two armies fighting, he saw that the one allied with the female warrior were making relatively quick work of the enemy. " _Good. Now to take care of this wall_ " he said to himself, " _ **Schjelle-y-Guran**!"_

From down below, giant tree roots began to emerge rapidly from the ground, growing immensely as they effortlessly tossed aside members of the enemy army. When they grew to about half the height of the fortress' walls, they started stabbing themselves into the structure, pulling out pieces of cobblestone and brick used to build them; repeating the process until they created an opening large enough and wide enough for the female warrior and her army to go through.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

When he descended back to the ground, he met up with the female warrior, " _Good work Great Wizard_ " she praised. When she looked at the opening created in the wall, he was surprised to see a tear fall down her face, " _This war will finally come to an end_ " she said, " _Come everyone! We have them pushed back as far as they can go! When we enter this fortress, we will kill their wretched king and bring peace back to Remnant once again!_ " The entire army cheered and shouted as they followed her into their final assault.

Then...as his body began following suit, his vision went black.

* * *

"Pyrrha? Are you sure you don't want to eat? Your food's getting cold" Nora asked from Penny and Ruby's dining room.

"I'm fine Nora thank you" she said looking back at Jaune.

Nora came to sit next to her, "He's going to be okay Pyrrha. You heard what Ren said, as long as he gets some rest he'll be fine"

"*sigh* I know, it's just..." before she could finish, she grew a look a worry as Jaune began to stir violently before his eyes opened and he shot up where he laid, his body covered in sweat as he breathed heavily.

"*huff* *huff* *huff* What? What happened? Where am I?"

"Jaune? W-we're in Penny and Ruby's house. Don't you remember?" Pyrrha asked with concern.

Jaune looked at her quizzically, then at Nora, then Ren and Penny as they entered from the dining room. He then shook his head before rubbing his temple, "Y-yeah, yeah. Sorry, I just had the craziest dream. I was in the middle of some huge battle with a giant castle or something... ...I don't know how to explain"

"Don't worry about it" Ren said, "The only thing important now is that you're alright"

"Alright? Why?"

"After you regained Ruby's Seasonal Maiden power, you passed out and didn't wake up for hours" Pyrrha explained.

"Ruby?" Jaune asked looking at the couch across from him to see Ruby still asleep. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes" Penny said with a small smile as she sat down next to her, "And when she wakes up, I think she'll be happy that she'll finally be able to live like a normal person."

Jaune looked down at his lap, "You must be hungry, why don't you come eat something Jaune" Pyrrha said.

Jaune then frowned and shook his head, "No...I want to spar"

"What? But you haven't eaten in a long time, you need to..."

"What I need right now is to spar Pyrrha" Jaune interrupted looking into her eyes, "Please"

Pyrrha was shocked by this, but then nodded, "Okay"

**To Be Continued...**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Ruby woke in a daze. Opening her eyes slowly to adjust to the light of the living room, she turned her head to her left, where she saw Penny sitting in a chair next to her reading a novel. "Penny?"

"Oh! Ruby, you're awake" She said closing her book and setting it on the table. "How do you feel?"

Ruby sat up, "I... ...I feel dizzy" she said lifting the blanket off herself. She then looked around the room, "What happened to Jaune?"

"He and Pyrrha are sparring outside; Ren and Nora went to watch"

Ruby turned to stand, but immediately stopped to grab her head, now feeling even woozier than before. Seeing this, Penny came to her side, "Try not to make any sudden movements"

"What... ...what happened to me?"

"You don't remember? Jaune reclaimed your Seasonal Maiden power"

Ruby's eyes widened, "He took my power? I...I finally get to be normal?" she asked with joy.

Penny smiled, "It appears so"

With a squeal Ruby stood up, but immediately felt feint and almost fell if Penny weren't there to catch her. "Easy Ruby, take it easy"

"Ugh... sorry hehe, I just got excited. Come on, I want to go thank Jaune" Ruby said. With Penny's assistance, they made their way to the front door.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"Ha! Ha! Hiyaah!"

"Hm! Hm! Haaa!"

As Ruby and Penny exited their home, they became surprised at what they witnessed. Jaune and Pyrrha were sparring, but unlike many times before, this spar was significantly different.

Before, Pyrrha would use her experience as a fighter to quickly take advantage of Jaune and beat him in mere seconds. But now, Jaune was like an entirely different person. With every swing Pyrrha gave with her sword, Jaune either dodged or parried as if he saw it coming a thousand meters away.

His technique also seemed to change as well. Before he was unorganized and sluggish, even after making progress; but now it looked like he was on the same level as Pyrrha, forcing her to give her best effort.

Off to the side, Ren and Nora sat to observe the two yet again, both of them having looks of surprise. "How long have they been going?" Penny asked curiously as she and Ruby walked over.

Ren chuckled, "Nearly ten minutes. And they haven't taken a single break _yet_ "

"It's amazing. Just look at them; it's almost like their dancing" Nora awed.

One sword clash after another Jaune blocked Pyrrha's strikes; bringing his back, he tried to land a stab on her right shoulder. But halfway through his thrust, he was able to notice her footwork.

She quickly took a step back and dropped her shoulder, making him miss; however, noticing the way her hips twisted, he realized what was coming. " _She's going for a roundhouse kick_ "

Turning, he used his left arm to block with his shield, afterwards slashing Pyrrha behind her left knee, making her fall to both, "Two" he said, sweat drops trickling down his forehead.

She looked at him with a competitive glare. Gripping her sword tighter, she lunged forward giving an upward slash aimed at his's chest; but Jaune leaned back in order to avoid. Following up, she threw another slash aimed horizontally to his stomach, with Jaune blocking again with ease.

Unexpected to her however, he spun and made contact with a slice at her right wrist, causing her to drop her sword. He then immediately tackled her to the ground and straddled her hips, his left hand wrapping around her throat while his sword was aimed at her heart.

They remained that way for several seconds, staring into each other's eyes as they breathed heavily, "*huff* *huff* That makes three" he said completely exhausted.

When Pyrrha was able to catch her breath, she broke into laughter as Jaune started to get off her, "Hahahaha! Well done! Well done" she praised, taking his hand to help get to her feet.

"Woohooo! Jaune you did it!" Nora cheered as she and Ren approached.

"Thanks. But I couldn't have done it without your tutorage" Jaune said to Pyrrha, making a small blush appear on her cheeks.

"That was truly something to behold Jaune" said Ren, "It seems like you were fighting a lot more competently since last time"

"Yeah. I don't know how to explain it, but when we were fighting, it was almost like everything was in slow motion. I was able to see every one of Pyrrha's movements, making it possible for me to react to them in time" Jaune explained.

Just then, Penny and Ruby came up to them too, "Well... you two seemed to have worked up quite the sweat. If you want you can wash up inside. We also have food left over if you feel like eating" said Penny.

Both Pyrrha and Jaune nodded, when suddenly, Ruby pulled Jaune into a tight hug, "Oh thank you Jaune. Thank you sooooo much" she said letting go, "I really appreciate you taking my Maiden power. For the first time in my life, I finally feel like everyone else. I can finally live without have to deal with the awesome responsibility of wielding such immense power"

"Hey, it was nothi..." before Jaune could finish, his stomach growled as loud as a bear, making all of them laugh before heading back inside.

* * *

Blake stood near the stern of her ship. Down below on the docks, she heard some of her soldiers saying 'goodbye' and 'I love you' to their families before boarding their respected vessels. "Lady Belladonna?" said General Lagoose.

She turned to look at him, "Are we all set?"

"Yes milady. On your command we shall set sail"

"Very well. Let's go" she said as she started making her way to her quarters below deck. " _I hope you're ready Lady Schnee. You and your people are going to regret ever considering using faunus to do your dirty work_ "

Once the amber sails of her ship were raised, the several hundred other ships raised theirs as well; setting out to sea, ready to finish this once and for all.

**To Be Continued...**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

"And so students, which one of you can tell me what many people proclaim to be the turning point and final battle of the Great War of Vytal?" the teacher asked. Almost all the students raised their hand, "Miss Arc?"

"The Battle of Fort Castle" Mia answered.

"Precisely. And perhaps you can give me a reminder; what were the names of the four female warriors that led the army along with the Great Wizard into battle and who would later become the first Seasonal Maidens?"

Mia smirked, this was easy, "Their names were Reina Rose, Scarlett Schnee, Beatrice Belladona, and Sye Lee Branwen" she answered again.

"Excellent. As you all know, once these warriors and The Great Wizard killed King Arsaius the Third, they eventually established the four main kingdoms we live in now. However, some would think that the people of Remnant would oppose living again under monarchies after years of the tyrannical rule of King Arsaius. It was actually quite the opposite. This is because..."

Mia sighed, she already knew all of this. But as she listened to the teacher lecture on about the Great War, she couldn't help but think of Jaune yet again. How could she not? He was her younger brother; she worried _so_ much about him ever since he left, and she missed him unlike anything else. She missed his caring nature, she missed all of his funny jokes, she missed all the family games they played together, she missed...

"Miss Arc? Are you alright?" the teacher asked in concern, making the whole class turn their heads.

It was then she realized... tears were falling down her face. She quickly wiped her eyes, "...I-I'm fine" she answered with a shaky voice, "M-may I be excused?"

The teacher nodded, "Certainly"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Later that day, as She walked home, she completely chastised herself. " _Ugh, how could you cry in front of the whole class?!_ " she thought. It was so embarrassing, having to excuse herself in order to get recomposed. But all of that didn't matter now.

Now, she was at home. When she opened the front door, she saw the rest of her sisters, her mother, and even her father sitting together in the living room, "Hey everyone, what's going on?"

"We got another letter from Jaune" Emily said holding up an envelope.

Mia could've sworn she felt her heart skip a beat, "Really?"

"We were waiting for you so we can read it" said her Mother.

Within an instant, Mia dropped all her notes and rushed over as Emily ripped open the envelope. When she unfolded the letter, she cleared her throat before reading.

"Dear Everyone, we just reached Dele and are about to take a ferry to the island of Patch to see Lady Rose of Signal. Afterwards we'll be heading to Vacuo in order to see Lady Xiao Long of Shade. You probably won't be hearing from me again for another while, but I want you all to know that I... m-miss you very much and I wish I could hear back from you. Sincerely J...Jaune" Emily managed to finish.

"Wow. So Lady Rose is on Patch huh?" their father said. He then noticed the silence amongst his daughters, "He's gonna be okay girls. Remember, he promised he'll be back one day, and Miss Goodwitch will make sure of it. Now come on, let's get washed up for dinner"

"Okay" all of them said in unison.

* * *

Jaune and Ren sat across from one another, again in another reserved room of a ferry along with Nora and Pyrrha. It was the day after Jaune received Ruby's maiden power. After saying their farewells, the group, accompanied by Penny, travelled back to downtown Patch, where she purchased all four of them tickets to the voyage currently taking them to Vacuo.

"Breath in... ... ...and breath out" Ren said calmly.

Jaune did as instructed, slowly inhaling and then exhaling out of his nose, "Good. Now we can begin" said Ren taking his tome in hand. He opened it and flipped through several pages, "Wind magic is a fairly simple art to learn. It can be subtle, calm, and free-flowing. But when mastered, it can be vicious, destructive, and a force of chaos". He traced his hand down a page and then flicked his wrist, making a small draft form a ring of dust just above his palm.

Jaune looked in amusement before Ren handed him the tome, flipping all the way back to the first page, "Now, I want you to try to cast this spell here" he said pointing to the very first phrase.

When Jaune looked, he recognized it, "Wait, this is the one you casted during the tour isn't it?"

Ren nodded, "Yes, the spell should create a small gust. Once you succeed in that, I want you to try to make it travel around the room"

"Okay" Jaune said. He took a deep breath and raised his right hand, " _Kaze-no-ryu..._ "

Suddenly, a power gale force erupted from his hand, blowing Ren back and slamming him into the wall, "*gasp* Oh my Oum, are you alright?!" Jaune asked, with Nora and Pyrrha growing looks of concern.

Ren took a moment before standing and cracking his back, "Nngh, yeah I'm fine. Like I said, wind magic can be deceptively destructive" he sat back down in front of Jaune.

"What did I do wrong? I'm pretty sure I chanted the same way you did"

"You did, but wind is also particularly unique. Unlike most forms, it coincides one to one with your state of mind. If you want to maintain control, you must be calm and collected"

"But I am, that's why we started with a breathing exercise right?"

Ren chuckled, "Well I can tell you it definitely felt otherwise" he said before turning serious, "Jaune. What are you worried about?"

Jaune rose an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because you're obviously dealing with some inner turmoil. Is it your family?"

"My family? Why would I be worried about my family?"

Pyrrha was lightly taken aback by this, "But I have been thinking about that dream I told you guys about. After I took Ruby's maiden power? For some reason during the dream I could feel everything that happened to me; It also forced me to move and speak, everything was out of my control"

"Do you remember what happened during the dream?" Ren asked.

As Jaune began to explain, Pyrrha leaned over at Nora, "Nora? Did that seem a little... off? I mean, ever since we began this journey, Jaune's thought of his family everyday" she whispered.

Nora gave her a skeptical look, "Come on Pyrrha, really? Of course he's thinking of his family. Why wouldn't he be?"

Pyrrha pursed her lips, and then shook her head, "Heh, you're right... silly me" she said, looking with uncertainty to listen to Jaune continue to describe the details of his dream.

**To Be Continued...**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

It's been four days since they set sail. Save for the dim light of the moon, the open sea was nearly pitch black. To any human, they probably couldn't see their own hand if they held it in front of their face, but to Blake and her army, it might as well have been broad daylight.

She stood on the bow of her ship along with Adam. She looked to her left and right at the rest of her fleet, each ship with several of the demon birds with her soldiers mounted on their backs. "Lady Belladonna!" one of her soldiers called from her ship's crow's nest.

She looked up "Do you see it?!"

"Yes! The Atlesian border is about three nautical miles just ahead!"

She nodded as she looked to Adam, "Are you ready?"

He smirked, "I'll always be ready"

She rolled her eyes before facing him, "Just promise that me you'll be careful"

He faced her as well, "I promise"

She reached up to take hold of his mask, slowly removing it. They looked each other in the eyes, amber into a rich auburn; she then cupped her hands around his face, leaning up to kiss him deeply, Adam returning the gesture as well.

"I love you" she said softly as they parted.

"I love you too" he said donning his mask again. He walked towards the back of the deck, where Cinder and another dozen soldiers waited, patiently mounted on their demon birds as Adam climbed onto his.

He glanced over to Cinder, who nodded back. Unsheathing his scarlet katana and raising it over his head, he commanded "BRING THEM TO THEIR KNEES!"

One after the other, Blake's soldiers began taking flight. Tens of hundreds of the demonic creatures soaring up into the starry sky, their black feathers making them blend near perfect into the night.

Blake grinned, " _They won't know what hit them_ "

* * *

*WHTSHH!* "Yeah?!" *WHTSHH!* "You think you can talk to me like that you filthy ape?!" *WHTSHH!*

The blonde boy's mouth hung open, unable to form a single word due to the immense burning pain. *WHTSHH!*, he gritted his teeth and grimaced as the guard's whip lashed his bare back yet again. The guard then walked to stand in front of the young man, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

The blonde slowly looked up, "I'm...I'm sorry" he struggled to say.

"Hmph, damn right you are. Let 'em go" he commanded the other two guards that held the young man's arms out on either side.

When they did, the boy collapsed to his face, taking short, pained breaths, "Now get your ass cleaned up. You have a lot of work to do tomorrow" the guard said as he and the other two walked to the faction's entrance.

As soon as they left, the three faunus who were forced to watch the horrible display rushed to his side, "Sun! Are you okay?!" one of them asked, her skin turning green and hair blue with concern.

The eldest of the three, a man with large ox horns and a black beard, looked at the severity of the boy's wounds. His back was bloody, the guard's whip having stripped away his skin from where it struck. "Ilia, you and Lili go back into the hut. I need you to bring back several cloths and some alcohol, now!"

The chameleon and bearcat faunus wasted no time. Within several moments, they came back with the requested items. The man took one piece of cloth and balled it up. He then raised the boy's head, "bite down on this"

The boy did as told. The man then took the bottle of alcohol and uncapped it, "This is gonna sting" he said before pouring the disinfectant onto his ba...

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPH!" the boy screamed at the top of his lungs, the cloth thankfully muffling the sound.

Ilia and Lili could only watch with pity, cringing with every pained howl their friend cried. When the man was done, he started taking the other pieces of cloth to place them individually over each lesion. "Lili, Ilia, help me get him inside"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

They set him lying face down on a cot, Ilia and Lili sitting next to him while the man went to get a bucket of cold water. "How do you feel Sun?" Lili asked.

"Nngh, it...hurts... to move"

"This is terrible. How can the guards possibly expect you to work tomorrow like this?" Ilia asked.

"He's not. He's gonna stay here to heal. I'll pick up the extra work he won't be able to do" the man said reentering with the bucket and a sponge.

"No, Onix you do have to. I can..." Sun started before wincing as he tried to prop himself up.

"This isn't up for debate Sun. Now stay down and rest" the man, now known as Onix said setting down the bucket and sitting next to Ilia and Lili. He removed the cloths applied to Sun's back, "Hmm, these wounds are pretty deep. This should help" he said dipping the sponge in the water. He then held it over Sun's back and wrung it out.

Sun sucked in air through his teeth before sighing in relief. "... ... ... ...How long..." Lili said.

"What do you mean?" Ilia asked.

"How long do we have to live like this? Working in these mines?"

... ...No one answered.

"*sniff* I hate it here. The guards constantly abuse us every, treating us like animals and their personal training dummies. *sniff* I wanna go home. I miss my parents, my family *sob*" at that she broke down, tears falling from her eyes.

Ilia and Onix shared looks, both unsure of how to comfort her.

*BOOOOOOOOM* the hut shook violently.

"What was that?" Ilia asked, her skin turning yellow and her hair purple.

Before anyone could say anything, the hut shook violently again, only this time more intense. But then, the shaking was followed by a multiple, blood curdling shrieks; ones that sounded _far_ from human.

Onix narrowed his eyes, "You three stay here"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

He ran to the to open it. But when he did, what he saw terrified him.

There were these black, gargantuan, evil looking birds being ridden by what looked like faunus. There were also large wolves that looked similar to the birds, standing over the dead bodies of the mine guards. "W-w-what the hell?"

"Hey!" one of the faunus riders hopped off his bird and came over, Onix taking a step back in uncertainty, "Come with me, we're gonna get you out of here"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"We're soldiers from Mistral, we're here to get you out of these wretched mines. Do you live here alone?"

"N-no, there are two girls and a boy who's injured. They're inside"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Ilia, Lili, and Sun were brought outside, along with every other slave that worked in this faction of the mines. When they all gathered around, a bull faunus wearing a mask and a human woman stood in front of them all, "Everyone listen up!" the bull faunus said, "My name is Adam Taurus, retainer to Lady Belladonna of Haven. We are currently on a mission to free you all from this hell and return you to your homeland! As we speak, Lady Belladonna's army is approaching the Atlesian border, where we will no doubt conquer their pathetic army and bring true peace back to the world of Remnant!"

The group of slaves began to chatter amongst themselves in confusion, asking if he was serious and if this was really happening. "I know the lot of you may be scared and uncertain" said the human, "But as a servant to milady, you have my word that we are telling the truth" she said walking over to one of the large birds, "We will use these creatures to carry you out of here. With them you can be safely transported back to the safety of Lady Belladonna's fleet while avoiding Atlas' authorities all together"

"Woman and children will be first. Men? You all have a choice to make" Adam said, "Either go along with them, or stay and join us. From here we will be taking this fight directly to Lady Schnee's castle. If you join us, you will have a chance to enact revenge for the atrocities you were forced to endure; but if you choose not to, then you will be taken back to Lady Belladonna's fleet with everyone else. We will not fault you for doing so"

Onix snorted listening to the retainer's second offer. "Onix?" he looked down at Lili, "What are you going to do?" she asked, Ilia looking at him as well.

He remained silent before looking over to Sun, being tended to by two of the Mistralian soldiers, "... ...*sigh*, you three go with them. I'm gonna stay to settle some things"

"What? But Onix you can't..."

"I have to. Now get going, you don't want to get caught up in this"

Ilia and Lili shared saddened looks, before coming together and giving him a hug. "We'll miss you Onix. Thank you. For everything" said Ilia, now having turned blue and pink.

Onix smiled hugging them back, "I'll miss you too. Make sure you three take care of each other"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

The girls climbed onto a bird along with a soldier, while Sun go onto another with two. With one last look at the man who took care of them for all these years, they waved goodbye as they began taking off.

After they did, Onix reached into his shirt, pulling out a silver necklace he kept hidden from the mine guards this whole time. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at it, the jewelry reminding him of his wife. "I'm going to avenge you. You have my word"

**To Be Continued...**


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

"Ugh, this sucks!" complained an Atlesian soldier.

"What are you getting at _now_ Henry?" his fellow soldier asked.

"Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly fond of freezing my ass off; in the middle of the night at that"

"*sigh* just stop complaining and do your job. You're a soldier and you were giving orders, now follow them"

Henry raised his hands in defeat, "I'm just saying. I mean you can't tell me you would rather be out here than at Lady Schnee's castle, right?"

The other soldier gave him a skeptical look, "Could you imagine? Being in that nice warm castle, assigned with guarding that absolute _goddess_ Lady Schnee?"

"HA! Like she would ever allow your ass to guard her. She already has her sister as her retainer and she's ten times the soldier you and I will ever be" the other soldier said.

Henry pursed his lips before resuming his task; he took out his telescope and looked back out into the sea, "Can't see a damn thing" he mumbled. They were currently on one of Atlas' warships, being piloted with about a hundred more in a blockade, about a mile and a half out from the Atlas border.

He continuously scanned back and forth, again and again...until, " _Wait a minute_ " he thought as he tried to look closer. He couldn't see much, but from what he could tell, it looked like the silhouette of a...

"Guys! I think I see them!" he announced.

"Are you sure Marigold!?" the captain asked.

"Y...yes! In the distance, starboard side!"

The captain turned around, "Alright men, everyone get to your battle stations and prepare yourselves! We're gonna be in this for the long ru..." before he could finish, he was struck by a large black feather, its quill stabbing into the side of his neck making him fall over...dead.

Henry's eyes grew wide, "What the..." he heard an ear-piercing shriek. He looked up to see a giant black bird, with a strange white mask and its talons spread wide, lunging right towards him.

He jumped out of the way just in time not to be crushed. He looked up, to his shock, to see someone riding the strange creature. Seconds later, several more landed on the deck; their riders all rose their hands at the same time, " _Grima Sonastre_!" they all chanted.

Glowing red runes appeared all across the deck, afterwards more strange creatures sprouted from them, these ones resembling wolves. " _Oh god_ " Henry thought before turning to run to the bow of the ship.

As he was running, he reached into his satchel to pull out a magnesium torch. Striking it against a piece of metal, the torch lit up brightly. When he got to the stern of the ship, he held it as high as he could, not only so he could alarm the surrounding warships, but so he could also alarm the guards at the border.

What he didn't expect, however, was to see the same thing happening to the several ships behind his own. There were dozens, possibly hundreds of those birds landing on them, with their riders summoning those wolf things as well.

He could only stare... ...unable to comprehend how this was happening. He got so lost in thought, that he failed to notice the widening jaws a wolf creature looming over him from behind.

* * *

Weiss and Winter were situated in a watchtower, located near one of the ends of the border wall. They sat separated on two mats on the floor, "Come on Weiss, focus" Winter instructed.

"I'm trying" Weiss said. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating as hard as she could. Then, on the floor between them, a glyph appeared, one that was far different than the ones she usually used.

"Good. Now, think again about the entity you wish to summon" said Winter, "Think of it, and watch as it comes to your side"

From the glyph, a small blue-white great sword started to emerge from its center. Winter looked at it with disappointment and she shook her head, "Try again"

"Rrr, this is pointless!" Weiss shouted as the miniature sword and glyph dissipated.

"Stop doubting yourself. You just need to keep practicing"

"Who's to say I'll even need this. With our defenses reinforced, that whore won't even be able to break through to the main kingdom"

"It's never safe to be overconfident Weiss" Winter warned, "Don't you think Lady Belladonna knows that our defenses are strengthened? There's no telling what tricks up her sleeve she may have. All the more reason for you to keep practicing your holy summoning"

Weiss looked down at the table. Her sister was right... _again_.

*BOOM* the door to the watchtower slammed open, "*pant* *pant*, Lady Schnee! They're here!"

The sisters looked at one another and nodded. After grabbing their weapons, they followed the soldier outside.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

They hurried to where the attack was spotted, but when they got there... ...they didn't see anything. "What is the meaning of this soldier!? You said they were here!" Weiss said both angered and annoyed.

Confused, the soldier frowned before looking back out towards the blockade, "What the hell? There was a signal flare lit just a few seconds ago"

When Weiss looked as well, she immediately noticed "The blockade, they stopped moving"

"How? There's no way they could've pulled off a sneak attack of that magnitude. We can't even see their ships" said Winter.

As Weiss tried to contemplate this, another soldier came running towards her and her sister, "LADY SCHNEE!"

Weiss turned to face him, "What is..."

"The mines! They infiltrated our mines!"

The temperature of the air suddenly dropped ten degrees, "WHAT?! _"_

"It's true! We have no idea how they managed to do it, all we know is that they killed all the mine guards! Every last one! And they're heading towards the castle as we speak!"

Weiss gritted her teeth, she had to go defend the capital city, but she couldn't risk leaving her men here to fight alone on the off-chance Lady Belladonna decided to show her face, "Rrr, Winter! Go back to the city! Gather all the castle guards and all the knights from the guild!"

Winter nodded, "Yes milady". She held her sword upright in front of her face, " _Eilschritt!_ " she chanted, casting a haste spell on herself. She then leaped off the inner edge of the border wall before dashing off. Running on glyphs of her own, she became a white blur as she moved with incredible speed.

*Scraaaaaaaaaaaaww!*

Weiss' attention was brought back by the sound of flesh being torn apart. She looked back to see a large black bird on top of the soldier's body, it's talons lodged in his stomach while its beak ripped off his head before eating it whole.

She noticed it had a rider, donned in Mistralian armor. Without hesitation, she spiked Myrtenaster into the ground, summoning an ice pillar that stabbed the beast through its chin and out the top of its skull. She then jumped at the rider, stabbing him in his chest as they both fell to the ground on the other side of the bird.

*Scraaaaaaww!* *Scraaaaaaaaaaaaw!*

She looked up to see even more birds land; dozens of them. She looked behind her as well, and saw only the same thing. Her soldiers began to engage them, but not even she was confident they could beat such large creatures of such vast numbers.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed the creature she just killed started dissolving into black smoke, and interrupted again by another one landing behind her. She looked back again, but when she saw who was riding it, her eyes narrowed with pure rage.

"Hmph, hello Lady Schnee". It was the Fall Maiden, Blake Belladonna.

**To Be Continued...**


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

Sweat began to build on Winter's forehead. She was almost there, the capital city Mantle was just ahead. But when she finally got there, what she didn't expect was to see massive plumes of smoke emanating from the homes of the citizens living there.

She stopped on one of her glyphs to fully take in the scene. She couldn't believe how many of those _filthy_ animals there were. They were rampaging through the streets, dragging citizens out of their homes before killing them mercilessly, letting their bodies lay dead before entering the estates, only to exit after they were set ablaze.

" _What the hell?_ ", She saw strange shadowy figures climbing and leaping across the rooves of the homes. Faunus were naturally acrobatically superior to humans, but these were different. They blended in _too_ perfectly into the darkness of the night, and they were adorned with large white masks.

She shook her head, she didn't have time for this. She raised her sword up to her face again, preparing to cast another haste spell on herself; but then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something flying towards.

With a quick glance, she saw what surely had to be a demon of some sort. It had the body of a lion with large wings on its back; its head resembled that of an eagle as its claws swiped at her. She quickly leaped up to dodge it, spinning and slicing off one of its wings, making it fall towards the ground.

Another one quickly replaced it, this one roaring as it tried to do the same. With the upmost flexibility, she contorted her body at the last second, the beast's claws nipping just an inch off her hair that draped a part of her face.

But then, another one made a follow up, this time catching her off guard. "Aaargh!" the beast slashed her right shoulder, leaving four large cuts. She grimaced clutching her shoulder before realizing she was falling. She summoned a glyph beneath her, landing on her side harder than usual.

She winced as she stood up, only to hear another roar. One of the flying beasts dived bombed her, its claws wrapping around her shoulders to drag her down to the streets below.

She turned her head to see them approaching the ground fast. Before they reached, however, the beast flapped its wings hard, drastically slowing them down before it pinned her down underneath itself. She looked up at the beast as it roared in her face, growing of look of horror as its jaws drew in closer and closer.

"Halt!" she heard someone shout. The beast closed its mouth and slowly got off, walking away as it kept all four of its eyes on her. Now she was confused. She grabbed her shoulder as it pulsed with pain before rolling over, but when she looked up, she saw someone she was all too familiar with.

"Winter Schnee. It certainly has been too long since we last met hasn't it?"

Winter narrowed her eyes, " _Taurus_ " she thought standing up all the way. Mistralian soldiers began to circle around her, as well as wolf creatures that looked similar to the flying beasts. She gripped her sword tighter, flinching as it made her wound flare.

"Give up" Adam said, "You're surrounded with no room to escape. Drop your sword and we _may_ consider sparing your life"

Winter scoffed as she took a battle stance, "Never! I will defend my kingdom until the very end!"

Adam smirked shaking his head, "So be it"

* * *

Blake elegantly dismounted her demon bird, her eyes locked with Weiss' the entire way. When she was off entirely, the giant bird disappeared into black smoke. "Nothing to say Lady Schnee? I'm surprised"

"How the hell did you infiltrate our mines?" Weiss asked, her voice low to contain her anger.

"I see your eye has healed up. I must say that scar makes you look much more beautiful..."

"ANSWER ME!"

At this, Blake laughed, "How do you think?" she said pointing up.

Weiss looked, only to see the night sky and nothing else, "You honestly can't see them can you? It's a shame really. I can see them perfectly fine"

"What are you talking about?"

"Heh, that's for me to know and you to figure out" Black said unsheathing Gambol Shroud, "Now do you want to keep talking, or do you want to fight?" She took her battle stance.

Weiss raised Myrtenaster, taking hers as well. They had a standoff, sizing each other up, waiting for the other to make the first move. All the while their soldiers kept fighting in the background.

Weiss moved first, she held her hand out and formed a fist. " _Eisgefangnis_ " she silently chanted.

Blake only had a split second to notice the several glyphs that appeared around her feet. Ice spikes shot out of them, all aimed for her neck, " _Duombre_ " she thought before turning into a shadow and splitting into two, one sidestepping to the right, the other to the left.

The spikes collided into a cone, Blake reappearing as two on either side of it. " _Shadow clones_ " Weiss thought as they ran towards her. The left clone jumped in the air, grabbing its katana by the long ribbon that adorned its handle and swinging it down in a wide arc.

Weiss parried the blow before back-flipping out of the way of a slash from the other. She went on the offensive, throwing multiple stabs at the closest clone to no avail as it blocked each strike.

The other clone joined in, forcing Weiss to now take the defensive. Their attacks were almost perfectly coordinated; when one clone threw a slash to her right, the other would follow up immediately on the left.

She could barely keep up, her limited peripheral vision only adding to the struggle. The clones were gaining the advantage, the tips of their blades just barely grazing her skin and cutting small pieces off her clothing. " _I have to separate them_ " she thought.

She saw an opening. Ducking down, she spun and sent a kick into the stomach of the left clone, simultaneously slicing behind the knee of the other. She then jumped back, summoning a glyph underneath the right clone before chanting, " _Eis Faust!_ " enveloping it in a giant ice fist. The fist squeezed, making the clone scream in agony before it vanished.

Blake glared at Weiss taking a step back, " _Oni dionce!_ ", she sliced Gambol Shroud through the air, sending a shadowy violet shockwave hurdling towards her.

Weiss' eyes widened, her lack of depth perception made it hard for her to judge the distance of this attack. She bent backwards as far as she could, the shockwave passing inches over her face. Blake sent another, this one vertical as it cut through and kicked up debris from the concrete of the wall.

Weiss spun to her left to step onto a haste glyph; she then dashed to Blake almost instantaneously, jumping and delivering a knee to her face.

Blake fell to her back, opening her eyes to see Weiss in the air above her, Myrtenaster aimed at her heart. She vanished in a shadowy blur, leaving behind a clone to take the hit. Weiss stabbed it through its chest, making it cough up blood before disappearing.

When Blake stood back up, she wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. She then raised her hand, " _Grimma Sonastre_ " she chanted. In between the maidens, two red runes appeared on the ground, sprouting two demon wolves.

Weiss was able to recognize the patterns of the runes, " _Necromancy_ Lady Belladonna? That's a new low, even for _you_ " she said in disgust.

Blake smirked, "You think I care? I'm willing to take any measures to save my people" she said. "Kill her!"

The first wolf lunged at her, Weiss running towards it as well. When it pounced, she dropped to her knees, sliding under its belly and slicing off one of its hind legs. The wolf landed face planting, with Weiss jumping onto its back and stabbing it behind its bonelike mask.

*Roar!*

"*gasp*!" Weiss gasped as the other wolf attacked. As she performed a backflip to dodge, the wolf's claws scratched the back of her calf.

She stumbled when she landed, holding out her hand as it turned around. She summoned another glyph that shot and icicle out, nailing the beast in between its eyes. When it fell over dead, it and the other one dissolved into black smoke.

"That was impressive Lady Schnee. But let's see how you can handle _this_ one" Blake said. " _Grimma Superior_ e"

Another red run appeared on the ground, this one significantly bigger than the last two. From it, a wicked creature emerged, resembling that of a large gorilla. It beat its chest and roared as it charged.

Weiss furrowed her brow, unsure of how to deal with this monstrosity. It raised its massive left fist, but Weiss sidestepped out of the way as it came down, shaking the ground violently. She attempted to cut its forearm, only for Myrtenaster to bounce off its skin.

She gritted her teeth, she tried jumping over the beast, but unfortunately it caught her. Its right fist wrapped around her ankle before slamming her back down on her back, cracking the concrete beneath. All of the wind was forced out of her lungs, but before she could gasp for air, she felt the beast's iron grip around her throat as it easily lifted her several feet off the ground.

She reached up at its fingers, desperately trying to free her airway; but what she felt next, could only be compared to a cannon firing point blank into her stomach. The beast hit her with a violent punch, sending her skipping and tumbling against the ground until she came to a stop several meters away, dissolving into a nasty, painful coughing fit.

She was done. And she knew it. Every breath she took felt like multiple knives cutting the inside of her lungs. When she attempted to move, her body screamed at her to stay still. Blake and the behemoth walked up to her, the beast grabbing both of her wrists in one hand and lifting her up, "You would be wise to surrender Lady Schnee" Blake said cockily.

"*cough* *cough* *cough*...O... ...Over my dead..." she was interrupted by the beast intensifying its grip; a silent, pained howl the only thing able to escape her lips.

"Look around you Lady Schnee" Blake said, the beast turning so Weiss could see.

To her distraught, all of her soldiers and border guards were dead. The Mistralian forces having taken care of them easily thanks to the help of those demonic creatures, "Your soldiers have all been bested. And you can only imagine the carnage being dealt to your capital city. The amount of innocent lives being stolen as we speak"

The gorilla demon turned her back to face Blake, "Well?" she said. The beast reeling back its fist for another punch.

Weiss glared at her... ... ... ... ...before bowing her head in defeat. "I...surrender"

**To Be Continued...**


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

" _I...I failed_ " Weiss thought to herself. Her wrists were bound behind her back, her ankles and knees tied together. Her body ached, any form of movement was quickly followed by a wave of pain all over. She was hoisted over the shoulder of the gorilla demon, walking alongside Blake and all of her soldiers from the border wall through the capital city.

She looked at the numerous bodies littered the streets, feeling bile rise in her throat as they laid in their own puddles of blood; some with their necks slit, others with fatal stab wounds. Their homes were destroyed, some still on fire, others having fully collapsed from their own weight.

" _I failed my duty as a leader... ... ...I failed to protect them_ " She recognized where they were headed, her castle. Her thoughts instantly trailed to Winter, who have had to undoubtedly been there by now. She closed her eyes, praying that she would surrender and not try to put up a fight. Monty only knows what could happen to her if she had tried.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Atlas guild was located not far from Lady Schnee's castle. The second he heard that the capital city was under attack, General Ironwood gathered all of the knights and knights in training in order to defend it. To his dismay however, they were drastically outnumbered, forcing them to fall back to the castle as their last form of defense.

They were waiting just outside the castle gates, all of them armed and ready to give their lives in order to protect Lady Schnee's throne. They saw the Mistralian army in the distance, but strangely, they were unmoving, as if they were waiting themselves.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Weiss noticed the number of Mistralian soldiers continue to increase more and more as they grew closer to her castle. There were so many of them; how could all of these soldiers possibly get past the border without anyone noticing?

"Adam?!" Blake called out.

The aforementioned bull faunus, turned around, waving Blake over to where he was. When she approached, a smirk appeared on her face, "I'm assuming that you accomplished your task?"

He chuckled, "You could say that"

"Where's Cinder?"

"Still escorting the slaves back to the fleet. She should be joining us again in a little while" Adam said glancing over to the gorilla demon behind Blake, Weiss still in its grip. "Seems you and Lady Schnee had some fun"

"*Pfft*, a futile attempt of resistance on her part. We took care of her _pathetic_ excuse for soldiers in a matter of minutes" she said. "How about you?"

"We've driven their forces back to Lady Schnee's castle. It was practically effortless, although we did run into somewhat of a nuisance" as Adam said this, two soldiers brought someone before Blake. They were dragged by their arms, one of soldiers pressing his foot into their back, forcing them to look up at her.

Blake smiled, "Winter Schnee"

" _What?!_ " Weiss thought. Ignoring her body's complaints, she arched her back as much as she could to look over the gorilla demon's shoulder. When she caught sight of her sister, her eyes widened. Winter's face was horribly bruised and her lip busted; her hair that was normally tied in a bun fell loosely down her shoulders and back; and her uniform was nearly ripped to shreds with, claw marks and bruises adorning every rip and tear.

Winter narrowed her eyes, "D...damn you" she mustered out, her voice dry and hoarse.

Blake leaned down until their faces were inches apart, "You have no one to blame but yourselves"

Winter spat in her face, her blood trickling down Blake's cheek.

Blake stood up and slowly wiped it off...*SMACK*, she backhanded Winter across her face. "Bind her. We're bringing her as well"

This enraged Weiss unlike anything else. She wanted to yell at them, curse at them at the top of her lungs, but something in her mind kept her from doing so, knowing the possible ramifications had she did.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Ironwood could see their army increase in size, making him grow only more anxious. They then began to move, drawing in closer and closer, "Get ready men! We must defend the throne at all costs!"

Everyone raised their weapons. When the Mistralians came closer, Ironwood furrowed his brow as he saw who was leading them, Lady Belladonna of Haven and her retainer. But behind the two, was a large beast; on both of its shoulders, it looked like it was carrying the bodies of...

" _Lady Schnee?_ " he thought in shock.

"Atlesian General!" Blake announced, her army stopping while she and Adam continued forward, "Instruct your men to drop their weapons and surrender!" they stopped when they were several meters away. Blake snapped her fingers, the beast abruptly dropping Weiss on the ground. She then grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her up until she was on her knees, unsheathing Gambol Shroud and holding the blade to her neck, "Do it! Or your beloved leader will suffer the same fate as the rest of your citizens!"

Ironwood looked at Weiss, only to be met by an emotion he'd never thought he see from her, desperation. The look in her eye was one of fear and horror, pleading for him to do as Blake said. He grunted as he was left with no choice, "Men... ...lay down your arms" he commanded.

Blake smirked, they had won.

* * *

Jaune yelled as he thrusted his sword stabbing the air. He followed up with a diagonal slash, quickly turning around and slashing downward behind him, and then again upward. He then held out his hand, " _Kaze-no-ryu!_ " he chanted, a powerful gale force erupted from his hand, slightly pushing him back as he tried to stand his ground. Once done, he set down his sword and put his hands on his knees, out of breath.

"That was better Jaune" Ren complimented, "but you still have to work on your control. If you are unable to maintain your ground while using magic, your opponents will know that you're a novice and use that to their advantage"

"*pant* *pant*, yeah. Okay" Jaune said.

Just then, Pyrrha and Nora entered the reserved room, both carrying two steaming bowls in each hand, "You guys must be hungry, let's eat!" Nora said.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

They sat down together in a small circle, feasting on their lunch; bowls of beef and vegetable stew. "So when will we be arriving in Vacuo?" Jaune asked.

"The captain said we should be arriving there this evening at the current pace we're going" Pyrrha said.

"What is it like? Have any of you ever been there?"

They shook their heads, "No, but the capital city Shade is said to be located just on the outer edge of the desert that divides Vacuo and Vale" Ren said.

"And it's said to be home to the largest oasis on Remnant, making it a very desirable location for travelers. The society is also said to be quite liberal" said Pyrrha.

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Xiao Long refuses to tolerate any form of discrimination in her nation. Because of this Shade, and all the other cities of Vacuo are integrated; faunus and humans living with one another as citizens and neighbors"

Jaune was amazed by this, "Really? I didn't think that was possible. I guess that's why her nation is neutral between the growing conflict of Atlas and Mistral"

"They may not be neutral for long" Nora started, "If Mistral attacks Atlas again, Lady Xiao Long has an obligation to intervene to hopefully settle the dispute. All the more reason for us to get to her as soon as possible"

Jaune sipped from his spoon before setting it down, "...Yeah"

**To Be Continued...**


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23:**

*DING!*... ...*DING!*... ...*DING!*... ...*DING!*

The large bell-tower located just off the docks rang as the ferry pulled into port. "Wooow it's hot" Jaune said as soon as they stepped out onto the deck. He held his hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun, which was just on verge of beginning to set.

When he did, he grew a look of amazement. The architecture of the buildings and homes here were drastically different to that of Vale and Patch. They were all made out of clay, expertly sculpted to be completely smooth without a single crack or fault; their roofs tiled with near perfect precision. The streets were paved out of sandstone, but what was most notable, were the people who walked along them.

Not only were there humans walking through the streets, but there were, in fact, faunus as well. A wide variety of faunus; some with mammal ears, others with furry tails, even a few with horns and tusks. "Woah. Look at all the faunus" Jaune awed, "I've never thought I would see so many in one place"

"Yeah...me neither" Nora mumbled. As they started to dismount the ferry, she walked particularly close to Ren, wrapping both of her arms around his left when they got off entirely.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Jaune made sure to take his time to appreciate the surroundings. He had never seen palm trees before in his life, yet here they were, adorning almost every corner and alley. The homes were also decorated with fancy lanterns, some hanging from the edges of the roofs, others standing on tall wooden poles. "Hahaha! Catch me if you can~!"

He looked up to his right to see a group of five kids, each of them with long black and white striped tails. The kid that was furthest ahead stopped, turning his head and smacking his rear end at the rest, "You guys are so slow! You'll never catch me~!"

"Ha! We'll make you eat those words!" One of the other four said playfully. They proceeded with their pursuit; chasing their friend across the rooftops, jumping and flipping from building to building with ease.

Jaune was astonished; they were so quick, so agile, so athletic, and all of them couldn't be no older than ten. "*gasp* Oh my Oum! Thank you~!" he looked back down to his left to see a man handing a bouquet of exotic flowers to a bunny faunus. She held them to her nose to take in their scent, afterwards wrapping her arms around the man's neck and kissing him.

"What are you thinking about?" Pyrrha asked.

He shook his head, "All my life I've been told that Faunus were lesser than humans. That it was inconceivable for us to live as equals" he grinned, "I guess I'll have to tell my Dad otherwise when I return home".

They continued their traversal of the city, when they came across a large stand. "My~ my~, aren't you a handsssome stud~" they looked to their right to see the stand owner; a beautiful woman with dark-tan skin. She had long black hair and wore a purple silk crop-top, revealing a generis amount of cleavage from her ample buxom; around her neck she wore a silver necklace, and on her hands and wrists, several silver rings and bracelets. But the most interesting feature of the woman, were her eyes, gold with pupils that were vertical slits.

"Yesss, I'm talking to _you_ blondie~" she said licking her lips with her thin, forked tongue.

Jaune's eyes shifted back and forth, "U-um..."

"Hmhmm you four look like travelers. Why don't you come take a look at my wares~? I sell some of the finessst jewelry in all of Shade" she said motioning to the many silver, gold and diamond accessories in front of her.

"I'm sorry miss, but we're not shopping..."

"Sssay no more" she said exiting the stand. To the group's surprise, and Nora's unease, the woman had no legs, instead a snake body; her front portion with black scales, her back with light and dark purple scales forming a pattern of diamonds.

She held a small bottle with a lavender solution in it, "How about thisss perfume?" she said slithering closer, "Apply some of thisss and you'll have _all_ the women clambering over you. Even your cute redheaded friend~" she said winking at Pyrrha.

Both she and Jaune blushed, "Um...n-no thank you" he turned down. The woman pouted, "But you can help us in another way. We're here to see Lady Xiao Long. Can you tell us where we can find her?"

The woman smiled, "How about I take you to her inssstead?"

"You know her?" Ren asked.

The woman nodded, "Oh yesss, Lady Xiao Long always comes by my stand. Every time she takesss her weekly commute through the city, she stops here to buy earrings and ankletsss to adorn her _adorable_ tootsies. And besides, I _loooove_ going to her palace"

"We would very much appreciate it miss...?"

"Nahja. And you are?"

"I'm Pyrrha. And this is Jaune, Ren, and Nora" Pyrrha said motioning to the rest of the group respectively.

When Nahja's sight fell on Nora, she noticed how tightly she was holding onto Ren's arm. "Aww what'sss the matter sweetie?"

"Nothing" Nora answered bluntly.

Nahja giggled, "Couldn't fool me. I understand if you're feeling anxious; snake faunusss are very rare indeed. But I promise I won't bite... ...unlesss I'm _hungry!_ " She rattled her tail loudly.

Nora grew a terrified look, "Hahahaha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding" Nahja laughed, "I'm a vegetarian anyway. Let me close my stand and I'll essscort you to her palace"

* * *

The sun started to set as Nahja guided them through Shade. "Ssso where are you four from? Judging by your attire you look like knights of some sort"

"Yes. We're from Vale and we trained at Beacon guild" Ren answered.

Nahja brought her hands to her cheeks, "Oooo, guild knights. That means you're able to use magic right? Can I sssee?"

The group exchanged looks, before Pyrrha shrugged her shoulders, "Sure". She took her small shield and made it float just above her palm. It then turned vertically before spinning rapidly in place.

Nahja's eyes lit up with intrigue, "What kind of magic is that?"

"It's polarity"

"Woooow, you mussst be more skilled than the average knight huh? And if you're here to sssee Lady Xiao Long, it must be important"

"Uhh... ...yeah, you could say that" Jaune said.

Nahja smiled, "Then we shall not wassste any moment longer" she turned to continue slithering, "Lady Xiao Long's palace isn't far"

And she was right; after several more minutes they came across a large body of water. The sun had fully retreated under the horizon, and as the sky began to darken, the water began to glow a mystical aquamarine, "Thisss is Shade's world famousss oasis" said Nahja, "During the day citizens love to come here to enjoy a quick dip. Whether to have fun or to essscape the heat for a brief period of time"

The group stared at the water in awe as its glow brightened ever so slightly, giving off a soothing aesthetic that was very pleasing to the eye. "Why is the water glowing like that?" Jaune asked.

"I thought you wouldn't ask" Nahja said, "It's said that the water of this oasis was blesssed by Monty Oum, giving it special properties. When one goes in for a swim, they emerge feeling happy and rejuvenated no matter how bad of a mood their in"

As Nahja finished explaining, the group noticed that in the middle of the lake like oasis, was a long bridge that lead to a building on the other side; one that was significantly larger and more immaculate in structure than all of the rest in Shade, "Is that..."

"Lady Xiao Long's palace. Beautiful isn't it?"

"Hmph, that's an understatement if I've ever heard one" Jaune said, making Nahja giggle as they continued on.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

They approached the entrance, two fifteen foot doors. There were two guards standing in front of them with scimitars, crossing their blades in front of the handles, "State your business" the left guard said.

"I'm here to sssee Lady Xiao Long" Nahja said.

The right guard raised an eyebrow, "Who are these four?"

"They're my plusss-ones. They come from Beacon guild in Vale, and they have important matters to discusss with milady"

Ren unfolded a piece of paper, "We have Glynda Goodwitch's seal to prove it"

The guards look at the paper, then at each other and nodded, "Very well" the left guard said. They stood aside and opened the doors for the group.

The interior design of the palace was second to none. In the main hall there were two spiraling staircases that lead to the second and third floor; in the middle, a fiery heart insignia was carved into the marble tiles. Fancy orange and gold curtains draped over every window, and a big lantern chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"Alright, we're here. Now what?" Jaune asked.

"Hmm. Knowing Lady Xiao Long, she's probably taking bath right about now. Follow me" said Nahja.

They walked through the first floor, passing by a palace guard here and there, and stopped when they came across a door, "Ah, here we are" Nahja said taking hold of door knocker.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"...you may enter" they heard from the other side.

When she opened the door, they were greeted by Lady Xiao Long. She was laying neck deep in a large tub; steam rose from the glowing water and rose petals were scattered along its surface. There were also two servants, one to her left who was feeding her grapes, and the other behind her massaging her shoulders.

She turned her head, "Nahja? I never expected to see you at this hour"

Nahja smiled as she slithered in, "I just wanted to pay a visit to my favorite cussstomer~"

The rest of the group hesitantly came in after, unsure if they wanted to intrude. "These four are here to sssee you. They came all the way from Beacon guild" Nahja explained.

"Knights from Vale huh?" Yang said. She waved her servants to stop as she rose out of the water...completely naked.

The group quickly looked away; Jaune and Ren in particular shielding their eyes. Nahja however giggled, seductively licking her upper lip. "No need to avert your gaze" Yang said as she walked down the steps, "All of my subjects are free to admire my beauty"

The group still refused to look. Yang's servants began drying her off with towels, afterwards they clothed her in her iconic white and gold dress. Once done, she came in front of the group, "So what is this about?"

"I'm sorry Lady Xiao Long, but I'm afraid we can only discuss this matter in private. It has to do with Atlas and Mistral" Pyrrha said.

Yang grew serious, "I see. You two are dismissed" she said. Her two servants bowed their heads before exiting.

"Hmm, I guess thisss means I have to go to" said Nahja, "Oh well. It was nice meeting you all" she said as she followed the servants out.

**To Be Continue...**


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24:**

"Please, continue"

"Right. We apologize for interrupting your bath, but allow me to introduce us. My name is Jaune Arc, and these are my retainers Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren"

"Retainers you say?" Yang said curiously.

"Yes, the reason for this is because I am a descendent of the Great Wizard, and we are currently on a journey to regain the power he granted to your and the other maidens' ancestors. I've already received Lady Rose's power and now we..."

"Wait, you've seen Ruby? Where is she?! Is she alright?!"

"Uh, y-yeah she's fine. She's currently living in Patch with her wife Penny"

Yang's eyes flashed red, "You mean her _retainer_... ... ...right?"

The group became confused, "Well, yes. They live on a ranch together out in the countryside"

"Ugh, I should've known" Yang said as she walked past them and out the door, the group following suit. "Ever since Ruby began her leadership that bitch had been trying to coarse her out of it"

"Um...with all due respect Lady Xiao Long" Pyrrha said as they walked down the hall, "Lady Rose _chose_ to leave her roll because she was unhappy..."

"There is no _choice_!" Yang interrupted. "Being a Seasonal Maiden is not a job you can choose to quit just because you're not having _fun,_ it's a responsibility. Why do you think we were blessed with this incredible power? To say 'I don't _feel_ like doing this'? No! Our duty is to maintain peace on Remnant! Precisely for situations like the one right now with Mistral and Atlas!"

They approached a large archway in the corridor, revealing the throne room of the palace. In the middle of the room on an elevated landing was a red velvet chaise; on the left side stood a man with slick red hair and a cutlass on his hip; on the right, another man with green hair and a large great sword on his back. They both bowed their heads as the group entered.

"I will always love Ruby until the day I die, but her decision to just abandon her roll? It's inexcusable. Forcing me to handle this catastrophe by myself; and Monty already knows that the Vale parliament is too incompetent to offer any assistance" Yang said as she lied down on her side, propping herself on the armrest. "*sigh* I remember the day I heard she announced she was stepping down. I stopped everything I was doing in order to go to Vale, and you can only _imagine_ my reaction when I found her living with that _cunt_ in an ordinary house in Signal". She shook her head, "There was so much yelling; and to this day I wish I could take back everything I said to her"

She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "But I digress. These are my retainers, Scarlett David and Sage Ayanna"

"Charmed"

"Pleasure to meet you" they said respectively.

"Now, you said you are a descendent of the Great Wizard correct?"

Jaune nodded, "Yes"

"And you've already regained Ruby's Spring Maiden power?"

"Yes, and next I was planning on..."

"Show me"

"Wh-what?"

"Show me. I want to see you use it" she said.

Jaune looked back at Pyrrha, Ren and Nora with uncertainty, "Well?"

A nervous smile grew on his face, "Well uh...I'm not quite sure... ...how to use it"

"... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...You're joking right?" Yang asked. The group hesitantly shook their heads. She brought her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, "So...you're trying to tell me...that you went to Ruby to receive her power... ...and you didn't stay to learn how to use it?!"

"We thought we didn't have time" Ren explained, "There's no telling when Mistral will attack Atlas again, and we wanted to get here before it happened so we could plan out our next move along with you"

Yang pursed her lips, "Hmm, that's a good point. But if you're expecting to obtain my power without mastering the one you have now, you've got another thing coming. Lucky for you, I can teach you"

"Really?" Jaune asked.

"Almost. I don't know how to use Ruby's power specifically, but I _can_ teach you how to tap into it so you can figure it out yourself"

"That's great! When can we start?" Jaune asked.

She stood back up, "Tomorrow morning. Right now it's time for dinner. You're welcome to join if you'd like, and feel free to spend the night here. My guards will show you to the guest rooms" she said as she started for the dining room, Sage and Scarlett following her from behind.

* * *

It made Weiss sick to her stomach. Sick to her stomach to see Blake ascend the steps to her throne. Sick to her stomach to see her sit down and cross one leg over the other as if taunting her. Sick to her stomach that she and Winter were on their knees, forced to watch her do so.

"Brrr, it's so cold. I don't see how you were ever able rule a nation on a chair like _this_ " Blake scoffed.

Cinder then entered the room, walking until she was in front of Weiss and Winter before taking a knee, "Lady Belladonna, I can report that all of the slaves have been safely transferred back to the fleet"

"Excellent job Cinder. You performed wonderfully" Blake said.

Cinder stood up and went to go stand next to Adam off to the side. "Are you happy now Lady Belladonna?" Weiss asked, "You achieved your goal, you got what you wanted..."

"HA! You think I'm an idiot?" Blake interrupted, "We're far from done with this wretched nation. Once our fleet returns we'll be moving on to the rest of your cities that use faunus for hard labor"

This worried Weiss even more, "You don't intend to destroy them do you?"

Blake chuckled, "Why would we, we already set the perfect example here..."

"EXAMPLE!? You slaughtered hundreds of innocent families!"

"A reasonable payback for the suffering you've made your slaves live through. I believe the saying goes, 'an eye for an eye'?"

Weiss was unsure how to respond as she saw a smirk appear on Blake's lips, "Besides, the two of you have yet to atone for _your_ sins" she snapped her fingers.

Two guards grabbed Winter by her shoulders and dragged her forward. They undid the binds around her wrists and held her arms out to her sides. A third guard came forward, carrying a long bull whip; her took hold of what was left of the top of her uniform before ripping it off, leaving her upper body completely exposed.

"Pay close attention Lady Schnee. You're about to learn what it's like. To see your own suffer at the hands of others, and not being able to do a single thing about it" Blake said. She gave the soldier with the bull whip a nod.

*WHTSHH!*

"AAAAAaahh!" Winter cried out, having to strain her voice in order to express her pain. The whip crack was loud, undoubtedly having echoed throughout the entire castle.

Weiss looked on in horror; the whip left a long lesion on Winter's back, that quickly reddened as it began to bleed. " _No_ "

Blake nodded again.

*WHTSHH!*

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Winter arched her back as she felt the leather strike again.

"Stop this! This is madness!" Weiss shouted.

Blake smiled as she leaned back in her throne, resting her head on the back of her hand... ...only to nod again.

*WHTSHH!*

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Weiss was at a loss. For the first time in her life... ... ...she felt powerless. Without a choice, she did the only thing she could think of; she closed her eyes and looked away, praying that this will end soon.

**To Be Continued...**


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25:**

Winter could hardly remember the last time she cried. It had to have been years at this point, when she was a child, slipping on ice and landing hard on her rear. Yet here she was, sobbing. After fourteen lashes, she couldn't take anymore. The pain was indescribable; burning, stinging, scathing, and downright unholy.

*WHTSHH!*

She gritted her teeth as a fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes, immediately falling down her cheeks. She lifted her head to look at Blake, "Plehease... ...no more..."

Blake rose an eyebrow with the same smirk on her face...nodding again.

*WHTSHH!*

"Aaaauuhhh" she whimpered, dissolving into sobs once more.

"STOP!" Weiss screamed, "She's going to die if you keep this up! Please Lady Belladonna! Do with me what you want, but I BEG of you! Stop this! PLEASE!"

"Oh don't worry Lady Schnee, I intend to" Blake said waving for the soldier with the bullwhip to back down, "The both of you are too valuable of prisoners to just kill off right away"

Winter slumped in the soldiers' grip, thanking however many gods she could name that it was over. She could feel drops of blood running down her back, and some trickling down the sides of her ribs before dripping onto the floor, "Take them away"

"Lady Belladonna, she _needs_ medical attention! If you're going to keep us prisoner, at least allow one of my medics to tend to her wounds!" Weiss pleaded.

"... ... ...*sigh* Whatever" Blake sighed, motioning for her soldiers to take them out of her sight.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Never in her life would Weiss have thought to be on the other side of these bars. She and Winter were taken to her castle's dungeon, which usually housed those who've committed crimes or treason against the kingdom.

She currently sat cross-legged in her cell; behind her, the gorilla demon, holding both her forearms in each of its fists behind her back. In the cell directly across was her sister, along with her head medic, Klein Sieben.

"Aaaaaahooww"

"I know Miss Schnee, I know it hurts. But please try to stay still" Klein softly advised. He touched the wet cloth to the last of the gashes, only for Winter to flinch and let out another whine. He applied pressure to absorb the rest of the excess blood before letting up, setting the cloth to the side along with the rest.

"We're almost done, I promise" he took a bottle and uncapped it, pouring its contents onto the palm of his hand, "This salve is a special biotic. It'll help you heal and should numb the pain". He began rubbing the salve gently into every lesion, Winter biting her lip before sighing as it started to take its effect.

Weiss watched as Klein started to apply medical bandages, closing her eyes and shaking her head, "Winter. I am so...so sorry" she apologized, "This is all my fault..."

"No... it isn't" Winter quickly interrupted. "Those _mutts_ are the ones who attacked us. They're the ones...in the wrong here" she winced.

Weiss turned her head to look at the gorilla demon; its soulless, glowing red eyes staring at her without the slightest bit of emotion, waiting for her to show the smallest sign of struggle. She furrowed her brow turning back, trying to recall everything from her previous battle.

" _How did Lady Belladonna gain the power to use necromancy? It's a forbidden art_ "

She tried to recall the several creatures Lady Belladonna used during their fight. There was the gorilla, the wolves, the giant bird...

" _The bird_ " It was then that realization hit her. All of Lady Belladonna's soldiers arrived at the wall completely unnoticed, all of them riding the backs of the demonic birds. When she asked how they infiltrated the mines, Lady Belladonna pointed upwards to the sky. "That's how"

"How what?" Winter asked sitting upwards. Medical bandages were wrapped around her entire torso, as well as her right shoulder, left thigh, and both of her calves. She was dressed in a prisoner's garb, Klein helping her put on her top to cover her breasts.

"These demons. The Mistralians used the shroud of night to infiltrate our kingdom, using the birds to fly over our border undetected"

"Birds? You mean there are others?" Winter asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Nngh...when I was running back to the castle, I stopped when I saw they had already ravaged the majority of Mantle". She scoffed, "I let my guard down and I was attacked. Not by whatever bird demons you speak of, but something else. They had four legs with claws and had wings on their backs"

Weiss looked down to the floor, readjusting her sitting position before grimacing; her back was killing her. "What are we going to do now Weiss?"

She shook her head again, "*sigh*, the only thing we _can_ do. Wait and hope that word reaches Lady Xiao Long in Vacuo"

* * *

"Dinner is served milady" said the large hippo faunus as he set down the silver dish in front of Yang. He lifted the lid to reveal three medium rare cooked lamb chops seasoned with a mixture of spices, along with asparagus steamed to perfection, and roasted yam skins. The hippo faunus touched his lips with the tips of his fingers and emphatically blew a kiss in the air, "Bon appetite"

Yang stared at the meal as her mouth began to water, "Wow Belgus, you never cease to amaze me"

The chef blushed, "Oh _stop_ it milady~. You're _far_ too kind~"

Several more servants stepped out of the kitchen doors, each carrying similar dishes. The walked around the long table as they set down them down in front of their respected patrons; Scarlett, Sage, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren; lifting the lids to reveal the same.

"Will you need anything else milady?"

"No Belgus, you're dismissed" Yang said, Belgus and the rest of the servants bowing their heads before leaving.

They started to dig in, "So, Pyrrha, Nora, and Lie right?" Yang asked.

"Beg pardon Lady Xiao Long, but I prefer if you refer to my last name" said Ren.

She nodded, "My apologies. Tell me a little about yourselves. Coming from Beacon guild you must have some stories"

"I can start" said Pyrrha. "I joined the guild when I was thirteen. My Mother and my Father were members of the Vale army and wanted me to follow in their footsteps. They taught me how to fight using a sword and shield, and lances as well, but it was the guild that helped me perfect my skills and add polarity magic to my repertoire"

"I see. So you became a knight to uphold a legacy"

"In a way. Growing up I always looked up to my parents as my idols. Every day they strove for greatness; and every time we trained they pushed me to my limit, knowing that it will benefit me it the future" She chuckled, "And they were right. When I arrived at the guild, I quickly rose through the ranks. And after several years, I earned my spot at number one"

"Number one? That's quite the feat for someone your age" said Scarlett.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without Ren and Nora"

"Why is that?" Yang asked curiously.

"Well... ...my first year at the guild wasn't...the best. I didn't have any friends and I was incredibly lonely. Everyone thought of me as some sort of 'star pupil', and because of that they isolated themselves from me because they felt intimidated"

"It wasn't until lunch one day when Nora and I saw her sitting by herself at a table" Ren said. "We felt so bad that we decided to join her and introduce ourselves. After talking and getting to know each other we became friends, and have been ever since"

"Oh~ how sweet~" Yang said taking a sip of her wine, "And how about you Ren? What's your story?"

"Me? I was born in a large village called Kuroyuri, located in a valley out in the mountain range east of Vale. My father was the chief and participated in the weekly hunts to restock the village's food supply, and my mother was a weaver, making baskets and other forms of decorations to sell"

"Interesting. What made you join the guild?"

"The culture of my village is very unique. When a child grows up they are required to contribute, either to the village or to the kingdom, in a way that will bring honor to their family name. What better way to do that than by becoming a knight? Fighting for those who can't fend for themselves and asking for nothing in return?"

"That's very honorable indeed. Your parents must be proud" Yang said, turning her attention to the last of Jaune's retainers. "And what about you Nora? Do you have a..."

"No" Nora answered.

"Why is that? Is it..."

"Don't worry about it" she interrupted.

"Miss Valkyrie, you will mind your manners towards Lady Xiao..."

"It's fine Sage. I won't push if the topic is too sensitive" Yang said. "*sigh* Listening to your stories brings back old times, like when Sage and Scarlett were first assigned at being my retainers"

Both Scarlett and Sage blushed, "Hehehe, you should have seen them, they were soooo cute with how hot-headed they were; _constantly_ fighting for my attention, trying to prove who was more skilled at fighting. I even caught both of them trying to peep at me while I was taking a bath"

"Lady Xiao Long!" Scarlett said flustered.

"Oh don't act like it wasn't true~" Yang teased, earning laughs from Jaune and the rest.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

After finishing their dinner, they parted to go to bed; Yang heading to her quarters, while Sage and Scarlett showed the group to one of the guest rooms.

When they opened the door, the group was met with four beds spread evenly throughout the large area. In the back of the room, was a door that led to a balcony lit with lanterns that were posted along the guard rail. "This is where you'll be staying for the night" said Sage, "Jaune, your training with Lady Xiao Long begins tomorrow at seven o'clock sharp. Be ready"

"I will" Jaune nodded as they left.

When they had the room to themselves, Pyrrha came up to Jaune, "You know Jaune, this is the perfect time to write to your family"

Jaune looked at her quizzically... ...before shaking his head, "Right. Right, my family" he said. "I think I'll actually do that tomorrow. Right now I need to rest up for my training"

Pyrrha watched him walk to his bed with uncertainty, normally Jaune would pounce on any chance he had to write back to them. But her thoughts were interrupted by a yawn, " _It's probably nothing_ " she hoped as she prepared for bed herself.

**To Be Continued...**


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26:**

The crack of dawn was one of Yang's favorite times of the day. It was a time where she could spend a moment of complete solitude, before delving into governing and diplomacy. She stood on the grand balcony of her palace, the cold air from the desert night making goosebumps form on her skin.

She exhaled as she reached high up towards the stars, stretching the muscles in her back, shoulders, and sides. She then reached down to her toes, stretching the muscles in her calves and hamstrings.

She brought her hands up again, clasping them together in front of her chest as if praying; afterwards she lifted her left foot, mimicking a crane as she balanced perfectly on one leg. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath, sighing as a soft breeze blew past her.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

_Dear Everyone,_

_These last few days have been tough. I just started to learn how to use magic, but it's a LOT harder than I thought. Several days of practice and I still have trouble controlling the simplest of wind spells; and that's just the beginning. Glynda said that I'll be able to control pretty much every form of magic, and if it's taking me this long to learn wind, how long will it take me to learn all the others? Or even Lady Rose's power?_

_Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I received Lady Rose's Spring Maiden power; but I haven't the slightest clue how to use it. We made it to Shade, and you guys wouldn't believe how beautiful this place is. From the plant life, to the structures of the buildings, to the landscape, to even the culture; everything here is so different. We're currently staying with Lady Xiao Long in her palace, and she said she's going to teach me how to use the Spring Maiden power… …for the most part._

Jaune sighed, not knowing what else to write _._ He set the quill back in the ink, deciding to finish it later. He then looked back at the rest of the room to see the other three still asleep; Pyrrha in one bed, Ren and Nora sharing another. He slowly rose out of his chair, setting the bottle of ink on top of the letter as a paperweight, and quietly made his way out the door.

:::: :::: :::: ::::

Navigating the palace would have been a challenge within itself, but thanks to the directions Scarlett gave him, "The grand balcony should be right…around… …here" he said to himself.

When he turned the corner, he saw a large doubled-arced archway, the trim made entirely of gold. The balcony was circular in shape; along the guardrail, lanterns were evenly placed to provide light. But what instantly caught his eye, was the view. The grand balcony was high enough that it not only overlooked the luminous oasis, but also all of Shade.

His attention was brought back when he noticed Lady Xiao Long, who was bent over backwards on all fours, resembling a lowercase 'n'. As he approached, she opened her eyes and smiled, "Good morning Jaune, how are you today?"

"I'm fine I guess, It's a little cold out here" he said, noticing the visibility of his breath.

"Mmm, brisk isn't it? I find the night air of the desert to be a wonderful stimulate for the body and mind" she said. She lifted her legs over herself, performing a handstand before being on all fours again to stand up straight.

Before Jaune said another word, she struck a pose; holding her arms out to the side and taking a large side step to her right, leaving her left leg planted and straight, while her right was bent. She then turned her head and breathed deeply. "So…Lady Xiao Long, are we gonna start training?"

"We will when I'm done" she said closing her eyes.

"Oh, okay… … … …what are you doing?"

"Yoga. This is the only time of the day when I can do it and I  _don't_  intend on missing a moment. Care to join? It's quite relaxing"

"I think I'm fine, thank you" Jaune said, sitting down and crossing his legs as he patiently waited.

"So Jaune…" Yang began as she reached towards the sky again, "I'm afraid while getting to know your retainers during dinner last night, I've neglected to ask any questions about you. Tell me a little about yourself"

"Okay. I uh…I grew up in Signal along with my family. My dad is a merchant and my mom is a housekeeper, and I also have seven sisters…"

" _Seven_? It must have been a hassle living together"

"It wasn't as bad as you think. Our house was pretty small, but we made up for it by sharing bedrooms; me and three in one, the other four in another, while our parents shared the last. As you could probably guess our parents couldn't afford to send all of us to school, so to make up for it my older sister Mia would attend classes every day and teach the rest of us the subjects when she returned. While she's away, the others and I would either do chores around the house, commute around the city or either play whatever imaginary games they come up with"

"I see… …do you miss them?"

"Y-yeah…a lot. Which reminds me, I'm writing a letter to them. When I'm done, do you think you could find a way to get it delivered?"

"Of course. I'll have one of my guards make sure it gets sent as high priority"

Hearing this made Jaune smile… …before it slowly wavered, "Lady Xiao Long, I hope you don't mind me asking but…if Mistral were to attack Atlas again… … …what would happen?"

The question made her pause, "Well,  _if_  Mistral were to take that action, then my army and I would immediately set sail to Atlas to join forces alongside Lady Schnee. With our combined strength, we would continue the fight until Mistral is wrestled into submission, and Lady Belladonna has no choice but to talk peace negotiations"

"'Wrestled into submission'? Your planning on beating down Mistral until they have nothing left?"

"Only if Lady Belladonna chooses to persist after we arrive" Yang said doing another pose.

"But…doesn't that seem a little…harsh? All Lady Belladonna wants is freedom for her species"

"It's more complicated than you think Jaune. There are many more factors and variables in this than you understand"

He pursed his lips, "Then…how will you know when Mistral attacks?"

"Atlas will send word. As you can imagine, with Atlas controlling a majority of Remnant's sources of metal, their army is the most powerful of all four kingdoms. I have the upmost confidence that they can hold off Mistral and send a messenger to come inform me"

* * *

The sound of the dungeon doors opening awakened Weiss from her sleep, or what little she got of it. The sound of multiple footsteps came closer and closer to her and Winter's cells, to reveal a Mistralian soldier carrying two loaves of bread. "Breakfast" he said before tossing one loaf into Winter's cell, who herself was able to catch it, and tossing the other in Weiss' cell that landed on the floor just out of reach.

Weiss looked at the bread as her stomach growled, "How am I supposed to eat this?" she asked, the gorilla demon still holding her in place.

The soldier looked at her, and then over to Winter, having split her bread with Klein, who was allowed to stay to monitor her injuries. "Hey midget. Get up"

:::: :::: :::: ::::

"Thank you Klein" Weiss said after taking a large bite from the bread, finally able to quell her hunger. He lifted the bread to her mouth so she could take another. It was humiliating; here she was, Weiss Schnee, the Winter Maiden, being fed like she was an infant.

She started to feel pins and needles in her legs again, indicating that she should shift positions. But when she tried straightening her back, another sharp pain made her stop, "Nngh!"

"Are you alright Lady Schnee?"

"N-no. My back hurts like hell, and my chest aches if I breath too deeply… … … ugh, and this Oum-forsaken position is anything but comfortable" she grimaced. "Klein, do you still have that salve?"

"Yes milady"

"Can you apply some of it on me? Please?"

"But…Lady Schnee, in order to do so I would have to remove your top" Klein said as he looked at the gorilla demon.

"It's fine. As long as I don't struggle, it shouldn't bother you" she assured.

She leaned forward as he reached for her shoulders. He then began to roll her top down her arms and torso, not even daring to stare at her breasts when they were exposed. Once at her waist, he took the salve and poured some on his hand. "It's mainly used for open wounds. But because your injuries are mostly internal, I'm not sure how much it will help" he said as he started rubbing circles into her back.

She winced, "…I…I think it's working… …a little bit anyway"

He then applied more on her stomach and again just below her neck and between both her breasts; it didn't relieve all the pain, but good amount. When he was done, her pulled her top back up so she could be properly dressed, "*sigh* Thank you Klein"

"Of course milady" he said, taking her bread back in hand so she could proceed eating.

* * *

"Okay, now we can get started" Yang said finishing her last pose. She came and sat down in front of Jaune, "Pay very close attention Jaune, what I'm about to teach you has been passed down exclusively through every generation of Seasonal Maidens"

Jaune nodded, "Much like the seasons of Remnant, every Maiden power is different. The Winter Maiden power allows Lady Schnee to conjure ice magic that can only be rivaled by the Great Wizard. The Fall Maiden power makes Lady Belladonna the only person on Remnant capable of using shadow magic. The Summer Maiden power is similar to Fall, but the difference is that I am able to use inferno magic"

"Wow. And what about the Spring Maiden power?"

"The Spring Maiden power is actually quite unique. Unlike all the others, it allows the wielder to burst into flower petals and move at a speed invisible to the naked eye"

Jaune's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"

"Only when fully mastered; or at least that was what Ruby was able to achieve. For now, all we're focused on is getting you to tap into that power" she said folding her hands in her lap. "In order to do so, you must concentrate deeply until you feel a warm sensation at the base of your stomach. When you do, focus on that sensation until it spreads throughout your entire body. I will demonstrate" she closed her eyes.

Suddenly, the temperature of the air sharply rose. Jaune could only stare in awe as Yang's hair began to glow a bright, pale yellow, emanating visible heat waves from each individual lock. When she opened her eyes again, her pupils were as red as blood.

Before Jaune could say anything, she held up her right hand and formed a fist, engulfing it in a ball of fire. "That's amazing"

"It is. But such immense power requires discipline to control" she said as she returned to normal. "Are you ready to try?"

"Yeah" he said. He made sure to mimic the way she sat and closed his eyes. He then began to concentrate, "… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …I don't feel anyth…"

"Don't talk!"

He shut his mouth to continue. Seconds soon turned to minutes, and he was about to speak up again…when he started to feel something; a numbness at the base of his neck. For a moment it confused him, because it wasn't how Yang had described, but he chose to keep going. He focused on the numbness, feeling it spread down his body until it felt like all of his blood stopped circulating.

Then…there was a tingling sensation, on the tips of his fingers on his left hand. It was like an itch, but it also, oddly, felt like his hand was expanding.

He opened his eyes to look at his hand, to see it slowly dissipating into yellow petals, "Wah! W-what the hell?!"

"Remain calm Jaune, try to remain…"

"Ahh! I can't stop it!" He panicked as his whole hand had now dissipated, but it didn't stop there. "Lady Xiao Long! What do I do!?" he yelled now that his arm was gone.

Yang now grew a look of concern, "Uh, o-okay Jaune, stay calm. Maybe if you…" before she could finish, he disappeared completely. Now having turned into a cluster of yellow flower petals, he started floating off the grand balcony and into the distance towards the oasis. "Oh… ...dear"

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
